


Runaway

by storywriter55



Series: Milestones [26]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, Healing, Prostitution, Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:34:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 39
Words: 137,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27329617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storywriter55/pseuds/storywriter55
Summary: Neal and Peter join forces with members of the extended White Collar family to help one of their own who's gotten in over her head. Part of the Milestones series (22.2 years).
Relationships: Neal Caffrey/Sara Ellis
Series: Milestones [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/80614
Comments: 19
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

Two years after the accident, dreams of that horrible night were still painfully vivid. Of course Hope had no way of knowing how factual or delusory the nightmares were but they were real in a way her faulty memory was not. While awake, the details remained elusive but in the dark of night, as she slept, they were rich in colour, in sound, her senses sharp as could be. Had that car really been a light coloured sedan? Had the tires screeched so loud she thought her head might explode? Had she screamed just before impact? Had the acrid smell of rubber lingered in the air as she lay on the pavement?

Some of the memories from that fateful evening had returned and solidified with time: the face of the ten-year-old boy who’d stared at her with stars in his eyes, the teasing she’d endured from her dad, the excitement she’d felt at teaching a group of youngsters after being away at university, the sound of the freezing rain pelting against the windowpane in the art room. She recalled how her heart had thumped with excitement as she’d stepped out of the June Ellington School of Art, the sensation of the new diamond on her finger, the sound of teasing laughter coming from across the street, the stinging of freezing drizzle on her face. Those fleeting memories had crystallized with time, the last clear images of what was about to become the worst night of her young life. 

But then, the recollections stopped suddenly, frozen in time as if a vintage reel to reel projector had broken down halfway through an old movie, forcing the celluloid to snap off and leaving the film spinning futilely on its spool, the outcome of the story remaining a mystery forever. Her conscious mind had longed to know… and in the absence of clear recollections, her nightmares had materialized to fill in the blanks. The details depicted in her dreams were always the same: amusement at the echo of laughter coming from across the street, the sudden movement out of the corner of her eye, the sight of the car careening out of control, the sound of screeching tires, the rawness in her throat as she shouted in warning, the sudden agony as the car crashed into her, the sensation of flying weightlessly through the air, the tightness in her body as she braced for impact and finally, the sound of broken glass as her body hit the windshield with force.

Try as she might, once awake, those crisp images began to blur until they disappeared completely from her conscious mind, leaving her asking herself the same frustrating questions every single time.

There was only one person who could give her insight into the accuracy of her dreams. The man who had been with her that fateful night: her dad. But the events of that night had led to so much heartache she could never bring herself to raise the subject with him, not after everything that had transpired in the months and years that followed. 

She woke with a start, shaking violently and finding herself alone in her bed. On those increasingly frequent nights when Cam slept next to her, he would startle to her screams and instantly reach out for her, comforting her until reality sunk in. But there were no arms reaching out for her this time, just deafening silence and the echo of screams which she feared were her own.

The thumping in her head and rawness in her throat competed with the pounding of footsteps coming up the stairs and without warning the door to her room flew open revealing Liam, his eyes wild. She could hear the sound of his breathing from across the room.

‘Hope!’ he called out frantically. ‘Are you okay?’

She blinked, her vision finally settling. ‘D-d-did I… scr-scream?’ she asked, her voice hoarse.

Seeing she was in no immediate danger, Liam slowed his pace, stepping into the room and settling next to her on the edge of her bed.

He reached for her trembling hand. ‘You scared the shit out of me’ he said, sleep still in his eyes.

’S-s-sorry’ she said with a forced smile.

He just stared, at a loss for words. 

Softer, more measured footsteps were heard and Sara appeared in the door frame this time, her hair hanging in her eyes.

‘You all right sweetie?’ she asked as calmly as she could.

It was always startling to wake to her daughter’s horrific screams but Sara had long ago decided it did no good to overdramatize. Better to reassure her daughter as best she could without the unnecessary drama; Hope preferred things that way.

One floor below, Neal mindlessly rubbed his sore jaw and sat up in bed listening to the commotion above his head. Even now, after months of therapy for both his daughter and himself, he still couldn’t face seeing her like that: waking with that look of pure terror in her eyes. He shook off the remnants of sleep and slipped out of bed, grabbing for a t-shirt from the laundry hamper. The best he could do was head down to the kitchen and get started on breakfast, make sure there was a glass of juice and a nice hearty meal on the table by the time his daughter came down.

It took a moment for him to recall what day it was. Saturday… Weekend breakfasts were always elaborate meals in the Caffrey household - often the only meal they ate until dinnertime rolled around. Neal glanced in the bedroom mirror and pushed the hair from his eyes. He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, avoiding the tooth that had been causing him problems for the past several weeks. He’d have to see to that damn thing. 

Eventually.

He heard the faint sound of the front door opening in the distance. Mozzie, no doubt, hoping to be fed. 

Raffie let out a soft whimper and got to his feet, looking up at his master.

‘I wonder who that could be’ Neal said rhetorically. 

The old dog wagged his tail and preceded Neal out of the bedroom just as the beep of the alarm was heard echoing through the house. 

‘Caffreys!’ came Mozzie’s voice. ‘Anybody up?’

‘Keep it down Moz!’ Neal replied as he appeared at the top of the stairs. ‘Caitlin’s still asleep.’

The older man shrugged and headed towards the kitchen with Raffie on his heels, sniffing at the small box he was holding in his hand. 

‘Why Moz, is that a gift for us?’ Neal said sarcastically as he followed close behind. ‘You shouldn’t have!’ 

‘I didn’t’ Mozzie said, his eyes shining brightly. ‘Wait until you see what I picked up. At a bargain price!’

Neal frowned. ‘Have you been bidding on abandoned storage units again? I thought you said it wasn’t any fun without June.’

Mozzie’s eyes shifted. ‘It isn’t… but sometimes I do it anyway. It reminds me of her.’ 

He seemed to snap out of the momentary gloom, a smile returning to his lips. He carefully slipped the contents of the small package onto the kitchen table as if he was revealing a long lost treasure. Unimpressed, Neal began to rummage through the fridge, pulling out milk, eggs and juice, one eye on the short stack of one dollar bills Mozzie had pulled out of the small box. He did a quick count and looked up at Mozzie, eyebrows raised.

‘Wow! A whole thirteen dollars. Moz, you should have said something, I had no idea you were reduced to lifting singles from your marks.’

Mozzie ignored Neal’s sarcasm, practically salivating as he picked up the bills and caressed them lovingly.

‘Fine, make fun of me’ he said, daring Neal to take a closer look. 

Not one to walk away from a challenge, Neal put down the container of juice and stepped closer, picking up one of the bills in his hand to examine it.

‘Careful!’ Mozzie warned. 

Neal squinted as he held it up to the light and began scrutinizing it as best he could without the benefit of his reading glasses.

‘They look genuine to me’ he murmured. ‘Again, if you need a place to stay, we’ve got a sleeping bag down in the basement you can use. And it’s nice and warm down there in the laundry room - you know with the quiet hum of the dryer.’

Mozzie opened his mouth to speak as Sara appeared, barefoot and wearing an old ratty chenille robe she’d never had the heart to part with. What it lacked in style, it more than made up for in warmth and comfort and she wore it like a badge of honour — even though she knew her husband was no fan of the old garment.

‘Morning Mozzie’ she murmured as she headed straight for the coffee maker and filled the empty pot with water. 

Neal followed her, gently placing a hand on her hip as he spoke in her ear. ‘How is she?’

Sara turned to face him and smiled, placing a hand on his cheek. She noticed him flinch.

‘She’s fine’ she replied reassuringly.

Somewhat mollified, Neal returned to the eggs and began beating a full dozen in a large bowl.

‘Awww Mozzie, that’s nice’ Sara said as she grabbed the handful of singles, spreading them out and pretending to fan herself with them. ‘This should cover this morning’s breakfast. I just want to know how you plan on paying for the three thousand, eight hundred and forty-six other meals you’ve had here since we moved in twenty-one years ago? Not that I’m counting…’ she added with a grin.

‘Hey, hey!’ Mozzie shouted, alarmed. ‘Be careful. That’s not what it looks like.’

‘What it looks like is that you’re broke’ she replied as she began examining the bills more carefully.

‘Oh my god! Is this what I think it is?’ she cried out after glancing at the bill on top of the pile.

For the second time, Neal’s ears perked up and he turned to look at his wife.

Mozzie was nodding like crazy, the silly grin growing exponentially as Sara murmured to herself. She put the first bill back on the table and began scrutinizing the next one.

‘What? What is it?’ Neal asked, picking up the one she’s discarded.

‘This one too…’ Sara said, under her breath.

‘This one too what?’ Neal asked, growing flustered. Apparently he was losing his touch.

‘Wow!’ she said. ‘This is a double quad!’

Mozzie nodded knowingly as he looked from Sara back to Neal. ‘At least one of you has an eye for valuable currency.’

Neal was growing annoyed at being left out of the loop. ‘Guys, this is not cool — ’ he began with a frown. He stopped suddenly as he strained his eyes, finally picking up on an anomaly. 

‘Holy shit!’ he called out just as Liam appeared already dressed for the day.

‘Dad, I wish you wouldn’t get on our case about swearing when you — what? What are you guys staring at?’

Mozzie spoke up. ‘You know that used Honda Civic you’ve had your eye on’ he told his godson.

‘Yeaaah…’

Neal’s head snapped back and he gave Mozzie a dirty look. ‘You are not getting him a car Moz!’

‘Wha— Will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on?’ Liam cried out as his dad gave him a dirty look, ostensibly for his choice of language.

‘Your uncle Mozzie seems to have stumbled onto some rare bills.’

‘How?’

Liam took a seat next to Mozzie as his godfather took the bills one at a time, eager to spend the next few minutes teaching the youngster the fine art of currency irregularities. 

‘This one’ he said, holding up a nice crisp bill ‘…is what we call a super repeater. See?’

Liam squinted, examining the bill. ‘You mean the serial number?’

Mozzie nodded. ‘See how the numbers repeat all the way through, 67676767. That’s rare and it’s worth about $1,500.’

‘Really?’

Sara watched the lesson from the kitchen counter where she leaned, sipping her coffee. Sterling Bosch had insured its fair share of valuable currency collections over the years.

‘And what do you suppose is different about this one?’ Mozzie asked, hoping his favourite student was paying attention.

Liam held it up to the light just as his dad had done a moment before. Unlike the first one, he couldn’t see anything special about the serial number. After a moment, young Caffrey piped up. ‘The colour on this one is different.’

Mozzie smiled proudly and tapped his godson on the back. ‘Good eye! It was printed with the wrong colour ink.’

‘So that makes it rare?’

‘Yeah, it’s got a bit of a pink tinge which makes it extremely rare. Only two hundred of these are in circulation.’

‘How much is it worth?’ Liam asked.

Mozzie smiled proudly. ‘Let’s just say if I can find the right buyer, it’ll be worth enough to feed this family for the next five years.’

Liam wagged his eyebrows, duly impressed while Sara and Neal shared a sideways glance. So much for keeping their kids away from the criminal underworld. 

‘Did you… steal them?’ Liam finally asked, his eyes sparkling.

‘What?’ Mozzie replied, duly indignant. ‘Of course not! I found them stuffed inside a mattress that was in a storage unit I bought.’

‘Cool!’ Liam exclaimed, looking up at his parents. ‘Can I buy a storage unit?'

‘No!’ Sara exclaimed just as Neal was about to do the same.

‘Most of the time, there’s nothing of value in those abandoned storage units, just dust and old junk. Right Moz?’ Neal said with an encouraging head nod. Unlike his teenage self, he didn’t want his seventeen-year-old son chasing after imaginary treasures.

Mozzie seemed to miss the point. ‘That’s not strictly true…’ he began as Neal coughed in order to get his attention.

‘Right, right. Your dad’s right Liam. Junk… that’s all there is in those old units’ he said, feigning a lack of enthusiasm for the purchase of abandoned storage units. 

Liam wasn’t so easily distracted. ‘How much is all this stuff worth?’ he asked excitedly. 

‘How much is what worth?’ came Caitlin’s sleepy voice. 

She stood there in the middle of the kitchen with her blond hair sticking up on top of her head and mascara still smeared from the night before. ‘What’s going on down here? I can hear you guys talking all the way upstairs.’

‘Well, good morning sleepy head’ Sara said, handing her a glass of juice. ‘Did you make curfew last night?’

According to Neal’s watch, their foster daughter had snuck in at 2:27 - almost an hour and a half later than her weekend curfew.

‘You were sound asleep when I came in’ Caitlin said, deflecting. ‘Guess you all went to bed early.’

Neal gave his foster daughter a dirty look. ‘Don’t even try. You owe us an hour and a half. To be deducted from your curfew tonight.’

‘Awww, Mr. C’ she moaned.

‘Careful or I’ll double it’ he warned with a curt look.

All eyes turned as Hope appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. Lately, her mood was a crapshoot, oscillating between cheerful and positive and sullen and depressed.

She didn’t say a word but took a seat at the table, leaving everyone to guess at her current disposition. 

WCWCWC

‘Morning Liv. Where’s your sister?’ Diana asked as her eldest daughter stumbled barefoot into the kitchen. The disheveled teen headed straight for the fridge and began her search for something to eat.

‘I don’t know… still sleeping I guess.’

‘Were you up in the night? I thought I heard someone moving around.’

Olivia looked away, eager to avoid her mother’s glare. She wasn’t going to be the one to rat out her sister for sneaking out after curfew to meet her friends.

‘Wasn’t me. Where’s Mama?’ she added, changing the subject.

Diana sipped her coffee, eyes glued to her computer screen. ‘She got called in for an early shift.’ 

‘What?’ Olivia whined. ‘She was supposed to drive me to the mall so I could go shopping for new trainers. I need them for my game on Tuesday.’ 

‘She’ll be home by four o’clock’ Diana replied with a shrug. ‘Or I could take you.’

Deep lines appeared on the teenager’s forehead. ‘Mom, I told you, I’m not getting trainers from Target… or Walmart. Everyone will make fun of me.’

‘What are you talking about? Running shoes from Target are just as good as those from those fancy stores.’

‘Mom, nobody calls them running shoes. You just don’t get it. Besides, Mama usually just gives me money so I can go with my friends. Marnie’s mom gave her two hundred and fifty bucks.’

Diana’s gaze went from the computer screen directly to her daughter’s sleepy face. ‘Two hundred and fifty bucks!’ she exclaimed. ‘What?! Are you buying shoes for the whole team!’

Of the two of them, Diana’s wife Christie was by far the more permissive parent. Indulging their kids was probably the thing they argued about the most since they’d become moms. With her long hours in the emergency room of Bellevue Hospital, Christie Cooper suffered from guilt-induced overindulging of their two girls and it drove Diana crazy. 

Her more regular hours at the Bureau meant that, except for the odd case where she was on stake-out, Diana was usually home on weeknights to make dinner - something Virginia and Olivia Berrigan dreaded. For one thing, Christie was a much better cook and when it came to parenting style, she gave the girls a lot more room to experiment and to make their own mistakes. Perhaps by virtue of her job as an FBI agent, Diana had seen the worst of human kind out in the big bad world and tended to be much stricter and over protective. 

The teen pulled out a yogurt container from the fridge, taking a seat next to her mom.

‘How about this?’ Diana said, tapping her shoulder. ‘You and Ginny get your chores done and I’ll take you to a movie later.’

‘Chores?’ she whined. ‘What chores?’

Diana ran her hand through her daughter’s hair. ‘Nice try. You’ve had the same job every weekend since you were ten years old - clean the powder room and tidy up your bedroom. Mama and I have company coming for dinner so I want the place looking spic and span.’

Olivia shrugged. ‘Fine… But can I go to Cara’s house after dinner?’

Diana studied her oldest daughter. ‘I don’t see why not.’

On the cusp of her sixteenth birthday, Olivia had always been the calmer, more docile of their two daughters. Ever since she was little, she’d tended to follow rules, got great marks at school and when it came to her baby sister, tried to lead by example. Virginia, in contrast, had been their rebel child - fighting her moms every inch of the way and always testing the limits of… the limits.

‘What is it you’re not telling me?’ Diana asked, sensing Olivia was holding back on something.

The teen expertly averted her eyes. ‘Nothing. So… can we go to an early show so I can be back in time to go to Cara’s?’

‘Sure.’

With that, Diana got up and headed down the hall in search of daughter number two.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

‘Where’s Hope?’ Neal asked as he and Sara finished clearing up the dishes.

‘I think she’s upstairs getting dressed. Doesn’t she have a class at noon?’

He nodded and cleared his throat - one of his tells. 

‘Neal, you need to stop worrying about her. She hadn’t had one of those nightmares in weeks.’

He kept his eyes on the pot he was scrubbing, avoiding her gaze. ‘But she’s still having them…’

‘Not nearly as much as she was a year ago’ Sara reminded him.

He gave her a look of skepticism. ‘The point is… she’s still having them.’

Sara put down the dishcloth and placed her hand on her husband’s back, rubbing gently. ‘Honey, you’re both doing so well… and you’ve got to admit, some days, she’s her good old self.’

Neal scoffed. It was hellish for him to stand by and watch his daughter suffer. During the months she’d been in hospital recuperating and he’d been at his lowest, she had worked hard to remain upbeat, to be optimistic about the future. Now, that he was finally back on track, he feared it was all catching up to her. Despite Cameron’s unfailing support, reality was sinking in and consequently, her moods fluctuated wildly.

Before the accident, Hope had been finishing up her second year at Carnegie Mellon. She’d enjoyed living on her own in Pittsburgh and her relationship with Cam had flourished despite the fact they were miles apart. The night just before the accident, Cam had slipped a ring on her finger and they had started to plan their future together. A future where she would finish school, continue to paint, put her knowledge of art history to good use - perhaps work with her dad at the school of art while she continued to perfect her skills. 

But a cruel twist of fate had short circuited her dreams. On a cool March evening, right outside the June Ellington School of Art, her world had come crashing down, robbing her of the future she’d dreamt of. Now, all she had to look forward to were endless speech therapy sessions and countless surgeries. Some days, she managed to face life with optimism, leaning on Cameron for support but every now and then, she would sink into depression as doubts and fears obliterated her usually positive look on life. 

During the dark months she’d been hospitalized, Neal had lived through a nightmare of his own. As the only person who’d witnessed the events of that night, he’d watched in horror as Hope’s body had disintegrated into a mangled pile of flesh and bones. His trauma had been just as real as hers, leaving him struggling emotionally with the fallout. But in time, he’d managed to climb out of the dark hole he’d fallen into and since then, Sara had been watching him like a hawk, making sure he didn’t undo all the progress he’d made during his long and painful recovery. 

She looked over at him, seeing those deep lines etched on his forehead.

‘Caffrey, look at me’ she said, her voice insistent. She placed her hands on his face, locking his gaze on her. ‘We’re all worried about Hope and I agree we have to keep an eye on her but you need to think about yourself too. You’ve been through an awful lot and I can’t bear the thought of losing you again.’

He sighed and pulled her in against him, holding her close. 

‘I’m fine babe’ he murmured in her ear. ‘Don’t worry about me, okay?’

Too much gloom he decided, it was time to change the subject. ‘What time are Diana and Christie expecting us tonight?’ 

She pulled out of his arms, letting him get away with the obvious deflection. ‘Seven. What are we supposed to bring?’

‘We?’ Neal repeated with a soft chuckle. If they were counting on Sara Ellis to prepare a delicious dessert for the group, they’d be waiting a long time.

‘Unless you’re planning on sharing your secret stash of Oreos…’ he teased. ‘I was thinking I’d make a caramel crême brulée.’ 

She hummed. ‘Mmm. Sounds delicious!’

‘You just be ready by six thirty and I’ll make sure I make something that will knock their socks off.’

Sara’s eyes grew. ‘Oh honey, I almost forgot. Ivy’s allergic to eggs.’

Neal looked up at the ceiling and groaned. ‘Right… I’ll figure something out.’

WCWCWC

And figure something out he did.

By the time Sara came down the stairs in a fashionable teal coloured sleeveless dress he’d never seen, Neal was wrapping up an apple crisp alongside individual portions of crême brûlée. He reached into the fridge for a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and slipped it into the box of goodies, ready for transport.

‘Ready?’ he asked.

She nodded. ‘Did you talk to Caitlin before she left?’

‘I told her we want her home by 11:30.’

She looked at him skeptically. ‘And I promised Liam I’d take him out for two extra driving lessons if he reported back to me’ he added, looking pleased with himself.

‘You know you shouldn’t pit the kids against each other like that’ she warned. ‘Some day, that’ll blow up in your face.'

Caitlin’s escapades these days required close monitoring and to Neal’s mind, any method was legit to keep her from messing her life up beyond repair. He took Sara’s arm, leading her towards the front door. 

‘Don’t worry, I’ve got this.’

WCWCWC

Peter shook the man’s hand and held the door open for him. Edgar Stanford was a regular at the gallery, popping in each month to see what was on offer. Peter wasn’t sure where he kept all the artwork he bought; the man’s walls must be plastered with stuff from floor to ceiling. Over time, Mr. Stanford had taken a particular liking to Hope’s signature landscapes displayed up on the second floor but these days, new pieces from the artist were scarce. It had taken a full year after her release from hospital for her to start painting again and by then, her work had devolved into darker, more abstract themes. Whereas in the past, she’d tended towards outdoor scenes inspired by warm sunny days at the cottage the family visited every summer, she now preferred portraiture: sad, twisted faces with demons invisible to the eye. 

‘Was that Mr. Stanford?’ she asked as she stepped out of the classroom at the back of the gallery.

Peter locked the door and put up the closed sign before turning to look at her. ‘He keeps hoping to find some new Hope Ellis-Caffrey pieces.’

She nodded and gave a feeble smile. 

‘He left these photographs from his garden’ Peter said, handing her a short stack of brightly coloured photos. ‘He was hoping it might inspire you.’

She took them from his hand, immediately setting them back down again.

‘In the meantime, he bought one of Caitlin’s flower pots to give to his daughter.’

Cameron appeared from upstairs, picking up on the end of the conversation. ‘You talking about Mr. Stanford?’ he asked. 

He walked over to his fiancée, bringing his arm to rest around her shoulder. ‘He asked if I had any influence on getting you to paint some new landscapes. I told him that was entirely up to you.’

There was an uneasy silence.

‘I noticed the lilac trees are starting to bloom over at Norfolk Park’ Cam said in attempt to break the mood. ‘If you want, we could go for a walk tomorrow, see if you feel inspired.’

She shrugged and pretended to look down at the class attendance sheet that was still in her hand. Cam and Peter shared a worried glance; they’d both noticed how withdrawn she’d been the past few days. Her moodiness seemed to coincide with the upcoming surgery she had scheduled for the following week, an aesthetic adjustment to her ear which had already endured two previous procedures. 

Cameron frowned. ‘You know I really don’t need to go out with the guys tonight. You could sleep over at my place instead, we could watch a movie…’

Hope piped up, forcing a smile. ‘No, no. It’s not often your friends visit from upstate. I’m fine. There’s this book I want to finish… you still planning on sleeping over at our house though?’ she added, her voice a little shaky.

He kissed her forehead as Peter watched with a worried smile. ‘You bet’ Cam said.

WCWCWC

The meal was wonderful as it always was when the ladies were hosting. Christie was an accomplished cook, rivalling both Neal and Elizabeth Burke any day of the week. Of the four couples, all but the Jones’ were aces in the kitchen. Despite being an amazing civil engineer and a terrific mom, Ivy Jones hadn’t been blessed with the cooking gene - nor had her husband. Dinner out in New Rochelle usually consisted of a casserole and a store bought dessert - not that anyone was complaining. After all, the purpose of their monthly get-togethers was for the four couples to stay in touch. The food itself was merely incidental.

Sara kept her eye on her husband throughout the meal, watching him relax while sipping wine from his ‘special’ bottle. It had gotten easier over time to stick to program as he seemed to accept his self-imposed limitations - especially among close friends who knew what he’d been through. Alcohol was now a thing of the past and to Sara’s relief, Neal showed no interest in derailing his progress.

Diana caught her wife’s eye, pointing to her watch. ‘Sorry guys but I need to go pick up the girls’ she explained as she prepared to get to her feet. 

Christie’s hand was instantly on her arm. ‘It’s okay honey, I’ll go. You stay and enjoy dessert.’ 

‘I’ll be just a few minutes’ she added, excusing herself and heading for the door.

‘So how’s Hope doing?’ Elizabeth asked, turning to face Sara. ‘I haven’t seen her in a while.’

‘She’s good… ups and downs, you know’ Sara replied.

‘She seems a lot more relaxed when Cam is around’ Neal added. ‘What about the boys?’ he asked turning towards Clinton and Ivy Jones.

‘They’re doing great! Michael wants to play hockey again this winter. I guess we’ll be spending plenty of time at the rink.’

Neal piped up and turned to look at Diana. ‘Hope tells me Ginny hasn’t been to art class the last couple of weeks. What’s up with that?’

Diana sighed. Raising a couple of teenage girls while tending to her high stress job wasn’t always easy. She and Christie had searched high and low to find something of interest for their younger daughter and for a while, art lessons at the school of art seemed to be doing the trick. 

‘You know, I can’t figure out what’s up with her lately. She’s lost interest in school… all she seems to want to do is to hang out with her friends and talk about cute boys.’

Ivy elbowed her husband. ‘See, I told you boys would be easier than girls.’ 

‘Wait ’til the hormones kick in’ Clinton said with an eyebrow wag.

Diana shook her head. ‘We can’t seem to get Ginny interested in anything. Her grades are down and it seems like whenever I open my mouth, it’s to nag her about something.’

Sara placed her hand on Diana’s arm. ‘It’s probably just a phase. Look at Olivia, she seems settled.’

‘Well… Liv never went through anything like this’ Diana replied. ‘We seem to be riding Ginny’s ass all the time and some days I worry she’s pulling away from us.’

Neal thought of Caitlin. She’d certainly put him and Sara through the wringer. He checked his watch. It was almost eleven and he was eager to find out if their foster daughter had respected her curfew. He discretely reached for his phone. 

‘Is she home?’ he texted his son.

‘Not yet’ came the reply.

He lifted his phone and showed his wife the exchange of texts.

She shrugged.

WCWCWC

The room was spinning. Virginia Berrigan had been doing tequila shots for the last hour when the cute guy who’d been flirting with her all night appeared with a roach in his hand.

‘Hey’ he said, falling onto the couch next to her. ‘Having fun?’

She moaned, feeling her stomach quiver. Her intention had been to hang out at the party for an hour or so with her girlfriend Hannah and be back at Hannah’s house in time for one of her moms to pick her up at eleven. But her girlfriend had left more than an hour ago and Ginny was still hanging out, enjoying the free drinks. 

‘Want some?’ the guy asked as he held up the joint.

Her eyes brightened. ‘Is that… weed?’ she asked.

He laughed. ‘It’ll make you feel chill, that’s all.’

He took the empty shot glass from her hand and put it down on the table. ‘I think you’ve had enough of that for tonight. Believe me, stick to this, it’ll mellow you out.’

Virginia reached out for the joint, taking a deep breath and immediately coughing.

‘Lightweight’ the young man teased with a good natured grin.

She’d been watching him all night, flirting with some of the older girls, making the rounds. He looked like he’d just stepped out of a teen magazine, deep blue eyes, a set of dimples that could make your heart flutter, warm, disarming smile. And now, he was sitting with her, talking to her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as his leg rubbed up against hers innocently. 

‘I’m Logan by the way’ he said with a wide grin. The dimples made their appearance once more. ‘This is my place, I live here with my roommate Mateo.’ 

‘Virginia’ she replied with a drunken smile. ‘Ginny… my good friends call me Ginny.’

‘Nice to meet you Ginny’ he said, shaking her hand and lingering a tad longer than necessary. That got her blood pumping and despite the fact her head was spinning, she tried her best to focus on his gaze. 

‘How old are you?’ she slurred, immediately embarrassed about asking such a stupid question.

‘Old enough to appreciate a pretty girl when I see one’ he said with a blinding smile.

She looked at him with a loopy grin. Man, he was reeeaaally cute.

‘We have these little get-togethers practically every weekend’ he said. ‘You should come.’

Ginny thought of her moms. They would absolutely freak if they knew she was drinking and fraternizing with older guys. One of them would be heading over to her friend’s place to pick her up anytime now and panic set in. 

‘Shit!’ the fourteen-year old cried out, getting unsteadily to her feet.

‘What’s the matter, sweet thing?’ the man asked.

‘I’m… supposed to be somewhere else’ she confessed.

‘I can take you wherever you need to go. My car’s right outside.’

Alarm bells went off. All those warnings from her mom - a casualty of working years with the FBI.

‘I don’t know…’

He lifted his arms in a sign of defeat and gave her another disarming smile. ‘Just a ride… I promise.’

‘You’d do that for me?’

‘Of course’ he said, running his hand down her cheek.

He took her arm and led her out.

WCWCWC

Christie stood on the doorstep of the modest home, fuming. ‘What do you mean Ginny’s not here?’ she asked her daughter’s best friend. 

Hannah Wilson stood there, fidgeting as her mom appeared behind her. ‘Hey Christie, come on in’ the woman said.

Christie took a step into the vestibule, looking around as if her youngest daughter might magically appear.

‘I thought you said Ginny went home’ Hannah’s mother said as the teenager stared down at the floor.

‘She’s… she’s at a party’ she murmured so softly, both women leaned in.

‘Honey, speak up’ her mom urged.

The kid knew she’d been caught lying. ‘We both went to a party tonight.’

‘A party?’ Hannah’s mom said angrily. ‘But I dropped you off at the movies!’

‘We just went for a little while. Ginny had heard about it… After a while, I wanted to come home and she wanted to stay.’

‘And where is this place?’ Christie asked the young girl.

She shrugged, retreating behind her blonde bangs.

‘I don’t know’ she whimpered. ‘Ginny had arranged for some guy to pick us up at the cineplex.’

‘What guy?’ both moms said simultaneously.

‘Just a senior from school. He approached us at lunch this week and said a friend of his was having a party and that we should come.’

She stopped short, biting her tongue. Her mom would actually flip out if she knew the guy had lured them with some funny cigarettes. 

Her mom stared back in disbelief. ‘So you got into a car with some guy you didn’t even know!’

Hannah looked down, remorseful. ‘He goes to our school!’ she said, the argument sounding hollow. ‘I’m sorry Mom, I should have told you but Ginny said we’d be back in time for her mom to pick her up.’

‘And you left her at this party alone?’ Christie asked, suddenly alarmed. 

The girl nodded shyly. ‘I told her we should get back but she wouldn’t listen.’

Christie felt her heartbeat quicken. This daughter of theirs was going to be the death of her. She took out her phone and stared at it. Calling Diana would do no good at this point. For one thing, they had a houseful of guests and, knowing her wife’s propensity for flying off the handle, she’d likely blow her lid. Better to figure things out and discuss this calmly once they got home. 

Christie Cooper was about to slip into solution mode when there was a weak knock at the door behind her. She opened it wide only to find a very wobbly Virginia standing there.

WCWCWC

‘I don’t want it’ Ginny declared as her mom pushed a bottle of water towards her. She’d just thrown up in Hannah’s driveway while her sister watched from the back seat of the car.

‘Drink it, you need to rehydrate’ Christie replied curtly. ‘Frankly I can’t believe you did this!’

She turned to her eldest daughter, while Ginny sheepishly took her spot in the backseat next to her. ‘Did you know she was going to do something stupid like this?’

Olivia shook her head and continued staring out the window unable to look at her mother while lying straight to her face.

‘Mom’s going to have a fit’ Christie declared. ‘When we get home I want you both to go to your rooms and stay there. No need upsetting her when we have a houseful of guests.’

To their silence she added. ‘Do you hear me?’

Ginny felt the queasiness growing in her stomach. Hopefully, she could hold on until they got home. The short drive was frosty, both girls silent. Whereas Olivia had been obediently waiting for her mom to pick her up at her friend Cara’s house, Ginny was off doing who knows what with who knows who. 

As directed, the girls snuck into the house through the back door, bypassing the dining room where the guests were assembled, chatting as they enjoyed dessert. 

‘Hey girls’ Diana called out as they disappeared into their rooms. ‘Did you have fun?’

‘What’s up?’ she asked her wife when the girls didn’t answer. 

‘They’re just tired’ she replied, rejoining their guests at the table.

Neal felt his phone vibrate and reached into his pocket, eyebrows raised as he glanced at his wife.

‘She’s home’ came the message.

A second later, another one. ‘Can we go out driving tomorrow?’

WCWCWC

‘Here you go’ Logan Parrish said as he handed the younger boy a short stack of twenties. ‘As promised. Fifty bucks per girl.’

The high school senior took the money and stuffed it into his jeans pocket.

‘You did good tonight’ Logan continued. ‘I like the two girls you brought. Especially that cute brunette. I think there’s potential there.’

The younger man smiled. ‘I think I can find a couple more girls for next week. Maybe I’ll need something to… you know, sweeten the deal.’

Logan went into the apartment’s kitchen and opened a drawer, pulling out a stash of pot. He handed the guy a baggie.

‘Don’t use it all for yourself’ he warned. ‘That’s for you to use as an incentive for the girls.’

The other boy nodded enthusiastically.

‘Just don’t get caught’ Logan warned. ‘…or I’ll deny I’ve ever seen you. Capisce?’

‘Got it’ the guy said as he prepared to leave.

Once alone, Logan looked over at his roomie. The charming smile was gone from his lips, his eyes knotted in a frown. ‘So what do you think?’ the roomie asked as he dragged along a garbage bag, cleaning up the remnants of the party.

Logan smiled. ‘I think we’ve got ourselves a live one.’

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Neal stood barefoot in the doorway to Hope’s bedroom up on the third floor. She was blissfully asleep and he hoped she’d remain that way. It was tearing him apart to see her struggle to return to her previous life. He thought of Cameron Armstrong and his undying love and support for his little girl. The young man had shown his mettle over the past couple of years, standing steadfastly by the woman he loved, encouraging her, supporting her, holding her hand as she took baby steps on the road to recovery. 

Neal was grateful for that.

She moved on the bed, turning towards him as her hair fell away, revealing the remaining scars on her face. She still had a ways to go before her face returned to its previous state. Or as close to it as possible. 

Neal felt his throat tighten. He knew all too well things would never go back to the way they were. Their shared journey had taken him on a crazy roller coaster ride of his own and by the grace of God, he’d come out the other side intact, mostly thanks to Sara’s love and devotion and his kids’ support. As the days following the tragedy passed, he had taken refuge in the blurry world of alcohol, eventually becoming unable to face his life without the crutch it afforded him. Through therapy, he’d learned to let go of the feelings of guilt that had been eating him whole, the feeling that he’d somehow let his daughter down, that he hadn’t been there to keep her safe and that a he’d unwittingly sentenced her to a life of pain and suffering. 

Thankfully, those dark days were behind him now. His dependence on booze had nearly cost him everything: his marriage, his kids, the gallery, the school of art and he was determined never to go back down that rabbit hole again.

‘Goodnight sweet pea’ he murmured before closing the bedroom door and tiptoeing down to join Sara in their bedroom.

He found her with her readers on her nose, re-reading the same paperwork she’d been obsessing about for the past several weeks. 

‘She asleep?’ she asked as Neal began to undress.

‘Yeah…’

‘Did you remember to leave the alarm off? Cam is supposed to sleep over.’

He nodded as he slipped on a pair of sleep pants. Sara immediately returned to the documents in her lap.

‘Honey, what are you doing with those? It’s almost one o’clock’ he said, slipping in next to her.

She sighed and gave him an embarrassed smile, setting the paperwork back on her night table and turning out the lights.

‘It’s in a couple of weeks…’ she said, curling up against him. ‘I want to be ready.'

‘I know… but there’s nothing more you can do to prepare.’

He felt her shrugging against him as he pulled her in tight. ‘And besides, I’ll be there with you. Every step of the way.’

She nodded and he felt her soft hair ripple across his chest. ‘I know…’ 

His hand came up to caress her soft curls and he placed a kiss on the top of her head. ‘You know it’s not too late to withdraw your complaint. The guy’s going to be in the slammer for another fifteen, twenty years as it is.’

As soon as the words escaped his lips, he regretted it. ‘Sorry’ he murmured.

She looked up into his eyes in the semi-dark room. ‘I know you’re only trying to keep me from having to relive the whole thing all over again but…’ 

She felt his warm breath on her skin as he exhaled. ‘I get it… I know you need closure.’

Sara shook off the sadness and tightened her hold around his waist. ‘Tonight was nice, huh…seeing everybody. Ivy looks great since she’s gone back to work.’

Neal nodded. ‘Sounds like Ginny's giving her moms a hard time. I wanted to say something encouraging but considering the limited success we’re having with Caitlin, I thought it might be hypocritical of me.’

‘Well, she made early curfew tonight. At least there’s that’ Sara reminded him.

He ran his hand up and down her back, listening to her breathing start to even out. After a few minutes, he heard the front door open off in the distance followed by the beep as the alarm was set. Cameron was home and his baby girl wouldn’t be alone to face any bad dreams tonight.

He exhaled. Sara lay safe in his arms and all three kids were safely in their beds. For now, he couldn’t ask for more.

He hung on to that comforting thought as he followed his wife into a deep sleep.

WCWCWC

‘That was fun’ Diana said as she sat on the edge of the bed, applying moisturizer to her face. ‘You know I love having everybody over.’

Christie lay in bed, conspicuously quiet. Did she want to tackle the thorny subject of their daughter’s misbehaviour or give the kid one last chance to make amends? Ginny had been on a downward spiral for weeks now. It was easy to put it down to hormones and a need for their headstrong daughter to make her own decisions. The women had been disagreeing about how to intervene all along, Christie opting for giving their daughter some space and Diana eager to set more stringent limits, to ride their baby girl until she broke. 

But the fact was, Diana’s strategy was failing miserably. It seemed that the stricter they became, the more Ginny misbehaved. Maybe a good stern lecture would be enough to make the unruly teen see sense. Telling Diana about her little escapade would only serve to exacerbate an already tense situation.

‘I saved you some of Neal’s apple crumble but you’ll probably have to fight the girls for it’ Diana said with a grin as she curled up next to her wife.

‘Hello?’ she said to Christie’s silence.

‘What?’

‘What’s with you anyway? You’ve barely said two words since you got back from picking up the girls.’

‘Nothing… I’m just tired. I had a rough shift at the hospital today.’

Diana ran her hand down her wife’s arm and Christie smiled. ‘I’m sorry… The good news is you don’t have to go in to work tomorrow. Maybe we can do something, all four of us. Why don’t we take the girls out for brunch?’

Christie forced a smile. ‘That sounds great.’

The women kissed and slipped under the blankets, Christie turning away while Diana curled up behind her.

Sometimes, ignorance was bliss and in this circumstance, Christie reckoned that keeping Ginny’s shenanigans from her wife seemed like the right decision.

‘Goodnight honey’ she murmured.

WCWCWC

Back in Brooklyn, Peter and Elizabeth Burke prepared for bed as they debriefed about their evening. The monthly get-together with his ex-teammates at white collar was always fun but after a full day at the gallery, Peter was eager to hit the sack.

‘Neal says Hope’s still a little off’ El commented, slipping in next to her husband.

‘She always gets like that when she’s got a doctor’s appointment lined up.’

‘I thought this one was just a tuck in the doctor’s office’ El said.

Peter settled in behind her. ‘It is… but honey, it’s never ending. At least that’s how Hope sees it. Every time she has to go back in for another appointment, it reminds her of what happened all over again.’

‘Why don’t you take her out tomorrow? Just the two of you, like the old days… it might help take her mind off things.'

‘Hon, she’s not a kid anymore. I’m not sure pizza with her godfather is enough to help at this point. Besides, doesn’t Penny gets here tomorrow?’

Elizabeth let out a huge sigh. ‘Yeah, but not until late afternoon.’

El and her younger sister visited each other about once a year but this time, Penny was bringing her kids along: twelve-year-old Bryce and fifteen-year-old Brianna. And they were both a handful in their own way.

‘Don’t sound so excited’ Peter said as El turned in the bed to face him.

‘I love Penny, you know I do. But…’

‘But she’s incredibly bossy and her kids are a handful.’

El shrugged. 

‘Honey, I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Neal said something about having the kids out to a class at the art school if they’re interested.’

‘I suppose’ El murmured as she kissed her husband softly on the lips. ‘I’m just not sue what they’re into these days.’

‘They’re calling for warm weather this week. Maybe we can have our inaugural barbecue and invite Neal and Sara and the kids. Ginny and Olivia are about Brianna’s age. We could invite them too. Maybe they’ll hit it off.’

‘I suppose.’

‘Just be glad they’re only staying a week’ Peter said with a chuckle.

WCWCWC

‘Can I borrow your red t-shirt?’ Ginny asked, poking her head into her sister’s room. ‘The moms are taking us out for brunch.’

For someone who’d been puking her guts out the night before, Olivia was surprised at how sprightly her sister looked. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out the requested top, throwing it in her sister’s direction.

‘Just don’t puke on it’ she said sarcastically.

With just two years separating them, the Berrigan sisters had always been close but these days, Olivia didn’t even recognize her younger sibling. Ginny had always liked to walk on the wild side but lately, she’d gone completely rogue. She’d been caught drinking, smoking pot and staying out past curfew but despite their best efforts, their moms were having trouble keeping her from going off the rails. If anything, she seemed to be getting worse.

‘Do you think Mama told Mom?’ Ginny asked, perching herself on the edge of her sister’s bed. ‘About last night?’

Olivia shrugged. ‘It would serve you right’ she warned her sister.

Ginny giggled. ‘God, you are such a tight ass, always such a goodie two shoes. If you want, I bet I could get you an invite to a party next weekend.’

The comment didn’t deserve a response but Olivia couldn’t help herself. ‘You’re playing with fire Ginny. I heard a couple of kids from school were arrested last weekend at some house party.’

Virginia just chuckled. ‘So what? They’re underage, nothing’s going to happen.’

‘I met the cutest guy last night’ she added, unable to hold back.

‘What guy?’

‘A really cute guy. He drove me back to Hannah’s place after the party.’

Olivia gave her a stern look. ‘You’re getting into cars with strange guys now?’

‘He was a perfect gentleman. He didn’t even try to make a move… not that I would have minded’ she added with a girlish giggle.

Olivia scoffed. ‘You’re crazy. You know it’s just a question of time before Mama tells Mom…’

For the first time, Ginny looked worried. So far her sister had been a trusted confidant; was she about to rat her out? ‘Are you going to tell her about me going to the party?’

Certain things were sacred between sisters and they were both of the opinion that certain lines should never be crossed. 

Olivia hesitated for a moment. ‘Just get out of my room’ came the reply.

WCWCWC

‘Now put your signal on’ Neal instructed as they prepared to back out of the driveway.

‘Seriously?’ Liam countered as he adjusted the rearview mirror.

‘Check the handbook’ his dad replied, leafing through the driver’s guide laying on his lap. ‘See… page 17 - signalling when backing up.’

‘Okay’ Liam said with an eye roll. 

He checked his mirrors and put the car in reverse. Neal held his breath as his son slowly backed out onto the street. Liam had been taking driving lessons at school but he couldn’t get enough of being behind the wheel. He’d been begging his dad for some extra driving time. The jury was still out as to whose driving genes his son had inherited; Neal sincerely hoped it wasn’t his mother’s.

‘So, where do you want to go?’ he asked.

‘How about we get on the highway, I’ve been dying to give it a try’ Liam said.

‘Not sure about your choice of words there, buddy’ Neal said.

‘Why don’t we go visit Uncle Mozzie? He promised to show me what else he’d found in that storage unit.’

‘Wednesday?’ Neal asked.

‘No it’s Sunday today, he’s always at Monday on Sundays.’

Neal nodded. ‘That’s right.’ Why Mozzie insisted on labelling his safe houses the names of the week had always been beyond him.

Liam signalled a right turn and off they went.

WCWCWC

‘Feeling better?’ Cameron asked as he and Hope walked along hand in hand.

It was a beautiful late spring day and he’d been hoping that a stroll in the local park and the sweet smell of fresh blooms would help put a smile on her face. 

She inhaled deeply. ‘How is it you always know exactly what I need?’ she asked.

He shrugged. ‘I don’t know… maybe because I know how upset you get every time you have to go in for another follow-up appointment. You kind of telegraph your moods you know.’

She smiled although he wasn’t sure how sincere it was. ‘I guess I do get a little anxious when I have to face that place again.’

He returned her smile - full of love and empathy. ‘I don’t know what to say…’

‘There’s nothing to say. It’s not your fault Cam… it’s nobody’s fault.’

They ambled along, falling into step with one another.

‘You didn’t tell me you had another one of your nightmares the night before last’ he said as they came upon a park bench. He coaxed her to stop and take a seat.

‘Who told you? Dad?’

‘Liam’ he replied. ‘He worries about you.’

She shrugged. Her baby brother was the most sensitive guy she’d ever known. ‘Tattle tale’ she whined.

Cam lay his arm up against the back of the bench and ran his other hand across her forehead, pushing away a wayward strand of dark wavy hair.

She giggled. ‘I forgot to tell you. Uncle Peter called this morning. He wanted to know if I wanted to meet him for lunch over at Mel’s. He tried to entice me with a sausage pizza.’

Cameron shook his head in disbelief.

‘I swear to God, sometimes he acts like I’m still ten years old.’

He took her hand in his, caressing her knuckles. ‘He just worries about you, that’s all.’

She exhaled loudly. ‘That’s just it… I’m tired of everybody worrying about me. Whenever I have one of those damn nightmares, Dad can’t even look me in the eye.’

‘He’s worked hard to get over what happened’ he reminded her. ‘I think for now, the best he can do is avoidance when he sees that you’re still suffering.’

She stared out at the people walking by, dozens of couples and families enjoying the explosion of colours and the wonderful scent of spring flowers.

‘Sometimes… I come so close to asking him.’

Her need for closure had not escaped her fiancé; she’d been struggling with it for months. ‘For what it’s worth, I think he could handle it.’ 

She looked away, watching a little boy giggle as his parents swung him in the air between them. ‘I don’t know Cam…’

‘You don’t think he thinks about it every day? You bringing it up isn’t going to change that.’

She grew silent, her eyes narrowing. 

‘Are you afraid it’ll push him over the edge and he’ll start drinking again?’

She turned to face him. ‘I don’t know…. no, I don’t, not really’ she said with a heavy sigh. ‘I just know how painful it would be for him to have to relive it.’

‘You don’t think he dissected the whole thing up and down, sideways and backwards and frontwards while he was in therapy? Come on Hope.’

‘I guess… it’s just feels cruel.’

‘Babe, he’s coping much better than you think. If he knew that talking about it would help you let go, he’d tell you everything you want to know. Why don’t you feel him out, see what he says?’

She remained silent. 

‘Do you want me to talk to him about it —’

‘No!’ she said, cutting him off. ‘No… maybe I’ll ask Mom what she thinks.’

He leaned in, kissed her lips and her smile returned. ‘Thank you’ she murmured.

‘For what?’

‘For always knowing how to make me feel better.’

He grinned widely. ‘Hey… that’s my job.’

WCWCWC 

Conversation flowed easily as the two men crossed over into Pennsylvania on their way to the town of Flemington - population 1,300. Of Mozzie’s safe houses, this was the furthest from the city and the only one which was out of state. It was a three hour drive but the weather was pleasant and Liam seemed to be enjoying cutting his teeth on highway driving. To be honest, he was doing a pretty good job and Neal had begun to relax, shouting out the odd nugget of advice - solicited or not. 

‘Stick to this lane’ he said to his son. ‘Only use the left lane for passing.’

Liam nodded patiently. ‘I know Dad.’

Since they’d left, they’d covered a long list of topics including the upcoming basketball playoffs, the year end exams, Liam’s prospects for a summer job and his relationship with Cody which was still going strong. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Liam noticed his dad running his hand along his jaw. ‘When are you finally going to go to the dentist?’ he asked.

Neal looked over with a frown. ‘Eventually…’ he replied.

‘You know it’ll only get worse if you don’t get it looked at’ Liam said wisely.

Neal reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a bottle of Advil, throwing a couple back with a sip of water. Sara had been on his case for weeks now and he was still resisting. He hated dentists. Had hated them since he was a kid.

‘Come on Dad. Dr. Ball is the gentlest dentist I’ve ever met.’

Neal did his best to ignore him but Liam persisted. ‘You won’t even feel a thing.’

Neal cleared his throat. ‘Thanks for keeping me posted on Caitlin’s whereabouts last night’ he said, changing the topic. 

Liam shrugged. When it came to the wayward teen, he didn’t have much patience. As far as he was concerned, she was a disruptive force in their home and sometimes the best he could manage was to tolerate her. They were practically the same age and although they didn’t travel in the same social circles, they bumped into each other at school and even shared Spanish class. 

‘She says she saw Ginny at a party last night.’

‘Ginny Berrigan?’ Neal asked as if there could be any doubt.

‘Apparently she was hanging out with kids who were a lot older, drinking, smoking.’

Neal frowned recalling Diana’s concerns about her daughter. 

Up ahead, he recognized the turnoff for the small town where Mozzie hung out on Sundays.

‘Up ahead’ he called out. ‘Turn right.’ 

WCWCWC

The attendant stood in the doorway to Linda Bennett’s room with a cup of tea in her hands.

‘I got your tea Mrs. Bennett’ she said as Caitlin jumped to her feet to take the cup from her.

She set it on the table by the elderly woman’s bed and returned to the spot she’d been occupying across from her.

‘Grandma, I’m pretty sure that word’s written with a ‘c’ not an ’s’’ she said, pointing to the Scrabble board.

Linda smiled back mischievously. ‘It was worth a try.’

Caitlin chuckled. As much as she enjoyed being out with friends and partying, spending time with her surrogate grandmother was one of her very favourite things.

‘So tell me’ Linda said as she strained to pick up the cup of tea. ‘How are things at school?’

Caitlin fiddled with her letters. ‘All right…’ she said evasively.

‘Are you staying out of the trouble?’ the woman asked.

She was probably the only person in the world who could get away with asking that question without getting her head bitten off.

‘Yeeeeah…’ Caitlin replied with a drawl. ‘Mostly.’

Linda looked her straight in the eye. ‘All right, what did you do?’ 

The older woman could always see through her. ‘I broke curfew the other night and Mr. C made me come home early last night to make up for it.’

‘Good for him’ Linda said with a grin.

Caitlin scowled and returned her eyes to the game. ‘I should have known you’d take his side’ she pouted. 

WCWCWC

Neal and Liam could hear a commotion as they climbed up to Mozzie’s safe house. At the top of the outdoor staircase, they noticed the usually locked door was wide open and they slipped in unnoticed.

Mozzie was standing in the middle of the place, hands on his head - if he’d had any hair, he would have been pulling it out. He startled at the sound of footsteps.

‘What the hell….’ Neal said as he looked around at the mess surrounding them.

The whole place had been ransacked, furniture turned over, art destroyed and lying on the floor, shelves knocked down. 

Mozzie turned to face him. He was as pale as could be. 

‘You okay Moz?’ Neal asked as Liam took a few steps into the room.

‘I think so’ the older man said as he began to tiptoe around the mess.

Liam looked around, eyes wide. ‘Did they take anything?’

‘Not sure’ came his uncle Mozzie’s reply.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Parenthood. 

Why hadn’t anybody warned her? And why, after centuries of experimentation, were people still so eager to try their hand at it? Maybe it was the false assumption that others didn’t know how to do it right, that everyone thought they could do better than the next guy. Or girl. 

Christie Cooper hadn’t started out wanting to be a mom. She was on the fast track to being a topnotch doctor - an emergency room superstar beloved by patients and colleagues alike. But there’d been that night following pottery class when the group had gone out for a drink and she’d ended up cozying up to one of her fellow aspiring potters - a gorgeous milk chocolate brunette with vibrant eyes who wore a tight dress like no one she’d ever seen before. 

There’d been no turning back. 

Oh sure, she and Diana had had their ups and downs over the years, had broken up a couple of times before realizing life was infinitely better with the other in it, even when times were rough. Especially when times were rough. The parenthood part… well it had just sort of crept up on her as had her advancing years and the next thing she knew, she and Diana were moms to two babies under the age of two. Not that they’d gotten pregnant by accident. It had all been carefully orchestrated and executed - except of course for Olivia’s birth in a broken down elevator with Neal playing the role of midwife. But that was a story for another day. 

Considering how long it had taken Diana to get pregnant the first time, they hadn’t wanted to wait too long to try again and as fate would have it, they’d been successful on the very first try. They’d agreed to the following division of labour (no pun intended): Diana would carry and birth the babies, slow down on the fast track with the FBI for a couple of years and afterwards, Christie would step in and work part time at Bellevue so she could be home until the girls started school.

What could possibly go wrong?

Now, she seemed to recall reading something about parenting being one of the major stressors in relationships. She and Diana were certainly a case in point. Diana had been raised in diplomatic circles and had learned early in life to be strong, to stand up for herself. She was a firm believer in the ‘pull up your bootstraps and keep your eye on the prize’ doctrine. But she’d been adored by her dad and there’d been plenty of love to go around. It was just, you know, tough love. For Christie who was a fragile, gentle soul, her early years had been full of reprimands and judgements without the kind of support her wife had been lucky enough to have. The moment Olivia was first placed in her arms, Christie had vowed that no child of hers was going to suffer the same fate hence her approach to parenting: give them all the love you can, smother them if they let you and in the end, everything will work out.

Their varying approaches had caused more than a few arguments over the years and Christie had covered for the kids on more than one occasion. She’d convinced herself it was all for the better good of their family. Diana didn’t need to know every single detail of what the girls were up to; she had enough stress with her job as a Special Agent in Charge at the Bureau and didn’t need the aggro frankly. Diana, of course, disagreed and consequently overreacted to every one of their daughters’ misdeeds or missteps. 

Christie spotted the turnoff onto school property and glanced in the rear view mirror at her beloved girls. At first glance, they looked angelic, both of them quietly looking out the car window with whatever occupied the busy minds of fourteen and sixteen year old girls these days. Pulling up to the drop-off zone, she slowed, the car idling as they began to inch their way to the front of the line.

The girls looked up, suddenly aware of where they were. 

‘It’s okay Mama, we’ll get out here’ Olivia Berrigan called out as she opened the back door of the car.

Virginia slid towards the open door as her mother put out her arm to hold her back. 

‘Hold on a minute! I need to talk to you young lady.’

Olivia shrugged and stepped out, glancing at her mom and blowing her a kiss as she headed towards the main door of the school. She had an inkling her younger sister was in for a tongue lashing and she couldn’t get away fast enough.

‘But I promised Hannah I’d meet her at quarter to’ Ginny whined.

‘Well, Hannah will just have to wait’ Christie said, turning in her seat to face her daughter. ‘We need to talk about what happened Saturday night.’

Ginny gave her an eye roll and Christie scowled at her. ‘I haven’t talked to Mom about it. Yet! She’s working on a big case at work and she doesn’t need any of your nonsense.’

Ginny sighed and made like she was listening.

‘If you ever pull another stunt like that again, not only will I tell her what you’re up to but I’ll be on your case like you’ve never seen before. You think Mom is strict, just try acting up and you’ll see what I’m capable of.’

Ginny tried her best to look remorseful. ‘I’m sorry’ she whimpered.

Christie’s face relaxed. ‘I know there’s a lot going on out there in the world but you’re fourteen years old and you’ve got the rest of your life for partying and boys. You need to buckle down and concentrate on school.’

The teenager sat in silence, taking it all in.

‘I’m giving you one last chance to smarten up. Don’t make me regret it.'

‘I wanted to call and tell you where I was’ Ginny said with a put upon pout. ‘But it’s hard to stay in touch without a phone.’

It was just like Virginia to play the ‘phone’ card. To their delight, both girls had received an iPhone on their thirteenth birthday. Whereas Olivia had been careful with hers, Ginny had promptly forgotten her brand new iPhone in the washroom of the local movie theatre within the first month. Christie and Diana had decided she needed to show some responsibility before they forked out perfectly good money for another one. Giving the girls their own phone was definitely a double-edged sword - it meant they spent an inordinate amount of time texting their friends but it was also a welcome tool for the moms to monitor their daughters comings and goings and to stay in touch with their busy teens. 

‘I know it’s not easy without a phone’ Christie admitted. ‘Let me talk to Mom and see what she says’ she said, smiling at her daughter.

‘Thanks Mama! You’re the best. I promise if you get me another phone, I’ll be so careful. I’ll never lose it. And I’ll be checking in with you all the time. You’ll be sick and tired of me calling every hour to tell you where I am.’

Christie rolled her eyes. ‘No promises, mind you’ she said. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

Ginny reached over the back of the seat and grabbed Christie’s neck, hugging her. 

‘Love you!’ the teen said as she reached for the door.

WCWCWC

‘What did the coach want?’ Will Allenby whispered as Liam took his seat next to him in calculus class.

‘I’ll tell you later’ Liam replied, keeping one eye on old Mr. Byrnes - a man who didn’t take kindly to students arriving late in his class.

‘Mr. Caffrey!’ the large man roared in his baritone voice. ‘Nice of you to join us.’

Liam looked away, bringing his eyes to rest on his textbook. He hated being singled out - whatever the reason. He waited until the teacher had moved on and reached into his pocket, pulling out the dark blue business card his basketball coach had handed him moments before. He stared at it without blinking.

‘George O’Rourke, Recruiter, Virginia Cavaliers’ it read. 

He could feel Will glancing in his direction and slipped the card back in his pocket before he could make out what was written. Not that he wouldn’t be sharing what the coach had said with his best friend, of course he would - in time. But he wanted to talk to Cody and his parents about it first. 

He glanced up at Mr. Byrnes. He could see his lips moving but he couldn’t concentrate enough to figure out what he was saying… something about inverse trigonometric functions. His mind returned to the conversation he’d just had with Coach Delgado; it would take a while to digest.

At the end of the previous school year, team captain Carl Bishop had graduated from White Plains High and headed upstate to play basketball for the University of Buffalo leaving the coaching team with the all important task of naming a new team captain. Traditionally, the coveted role was bequeathed to a twelfth grader, a senior who could bring his experience and maturity to leading his teammates. But to everyone’s surprise, they had overlooked the five grade twelve players on the team and had settled their sights on eleventh-grader Liam Caffrey. 

It had taken everyone by surprise, including Liam himself. He’d just finished his first year on the senior team at the top of the leader board of their high school intramural league. Liam had always been a strong silent type and despite his young age, he’d shown the many attributes coaches looked for in a team leader. Not only had he been named league MVP, he was humble, had great regard for authority, was an independent thinker and had shown the leadership skills required to inspire respect from his teammates. His parents, especially his dad, had been prouder than a peacock. Ever since Liam had joined the team, Neal had been attending all practices and games - up until his son had sat him down and begged him to give him some space and stop coming to the three times a week practices. To Liam’s relief, Neal had agreed to restrain his enthusiasm and restricts his attendance to game days. 

Through the window, Liam spotted Cody Miller standing right outside the classroom door and glanced up at the clock. The bell would be ringing in less than forty-five seconds yet Mr. Byrnes was still going at it as if he had another hour to go. Liam gave his boyfriend a discreet wave and Cody winked back causing Liam’s heart to flutter as it always did. 

With Will’s attention momentarily diverted by his girlfriend Josie, Liam took advantage of the situation to sneak out the back door and join Cody. His first instinct was to reach out and kiss the young man but he held back with a frustrated sigh. Meanwhile, he could see Josie through the doorway, running her hands through Will’s hair and he felt a twinge of envy. Although everyone in their circle of friends knew he and Cody were romantically involved, he had never been terribly comfortable with public displays of affection. The two young men walked side by side towards the main atrium leading into the cafeteria. 

‘It’s not fair’ Liam mumbled without any further explanation.

Cody’s hand grazed his. ‘I know’ he replied. ‘But it doesn’t have to be like this.’

Liam shrugged and pointed to an unoccupied table nearby. ‘There’s something I need to tell you.’

Cody followed and they settled in, face to face, Liam pulling out the business card once more. He lay it out on the table and Cody picked it up, examining it. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out its significance.

‘You’re kidding!’

Liam nodded. ‘He’s coming to see my game next week.’

‘Holy shit! But you’ve got more than a year to go before you graduate.’

Another shrug. ‘Apparently, they start scouting early on and they try to get you to commit. Coach says this guy’s already called to talk to him about me twice before.’

‘Wow! Charlottesville… How far is that from here?’

Liam glanced around and seeing no one was looking their way, he reached out and squeezed Cody’s hand. ‘About… six hours. But don’t go letting your imagination run wild, I’m not going anywhere… at least for now.’

He pulled away and ran his hands through his sandy-coloured hair. ‘It’s… a little overwhelming.’

‘Liam, you’re an amazing basketball player. This won’t be the only school that comes calling. I get the feeling you’ll have your pick of places.’

‘Coach says he wants to meet with me and my folks while he’s in town.’

‘Is he here to look at anybody else?’

‘Coach didn’t say…’

Cody chuckled. ‘My boyfriend’s going to be a big star. I guess I’d better get used to it.’ 

Liam shook his head and gave him a playful shove. ‘Shut up!’ 

WCWCWC

A few tables away, Virginia Berrigan sat with her best friend, sharing lunch and rehashing the events of the weekend.

‘What happened when you got home?’ Hannah asked her with morbid curiosity.

‘Nothing. My mom didn’t tell my other mom what happened’ Ginny said with an air of satisfaction. ‘But guess what? She was so worried, she’s considering buying me another cell phone!’

Hannah frowned. ‘But you said they wanted you to wait until you could pay part of it yourself.’

Ginny smirked, not only had she gotten away with Diana not finding out, she was about to get the replacement cell phone she’d been begging for for the past year. Win-win.

‘Logan’s invited me to another party this weekend. You want to come?’ 

‘Are you kidding?’ Hannah replied. ‘I’m grounded for a week thanks to you.’

‘Me? It’s not my fault you can’t keep your big mouth shut. You almost got me in trouble.’

‘I don’t know Gin, there’s something off about that guy.’

‘Like what? That’s he’s gorgeous, sexy and fun to be with?’ Ginny replied.

‘No! That he’s like probably eighteen.’

‘So? He’s cute and he likes me.’

Hannah shook her head. ‘He’s got a lot of experience and he’s used to girls putting out.’

‘Maybe I’m ready to… put out.’

Hannah’s eyes bulged; for all their big talk, they were both very naive.

Ginny threw her thick ponytail over her shoulder and pressed her lips together. ‘Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.’

WCWCWC

Neal was working at his desk at the June Ellington School of Art on Monday afternoon when the phone rang, startling him. He’d been trying to get through the monthly financial statement for the past half hour, distracted by the throbbing molar on the bottom left side of his mouth.

‘Hello!’ he shouted rather curtly into the phone.

‘Neal?’

‘Hi Mom. Sorry about that. I was… What’s up? How are you feeling?’

Having Linda Bennett back in his life for the past few years had been a godsend. After decades of estrangement, Neal had decided to take the high road, accepting her heartfelt regret for her shortcomings. They’d made amends and he’d finally talked her into leaving St. Louis in order to relocate near him and Sara and the kids. Since her arrival, not only had mother and son grown closer but she’d been a terrific influence in Caitlin’s life, something both Neal and Sara were very grateful for.

‘I was just wondering if you were still planning on coming over after work today’ Linda Bennett asked tentatively.

‘I was planning on it’ Neal said with a smile. ‘Why? Did you get a better offer?’

As a resident of the Blue Skies Nursing Home in nearby New Rochelle, Linda didn’t partake much of the activities offered by the institution. Her health was on the decline although she still managed to eat in the communal dining room most evenings and she still enjoyed the weekly bingo games on Wednesday nights. 

She hesitated. 

‘Mom…’ Neal prodded, waiting for an answer. ‘What’s up?’

‘They’re having a special pre-dinner celebration for all the residents who have May birthdays and…’

He interrupted, pleased to hear she was well enough to consider attending. ’Go!’ he replied with enthusiasm. ‘Don’t miss out, I can come tomorrow instead.’

‘Honey, I don’t want to upset your plans…’

‘Mom, it’s no big deal’ he insisted. ‘Go, enjoy yourself. As long as you don’t make any other plans for the weekend. Remember? I’m planning a special dinner for your birthday and for Liam and Caitlin’s.’

He imagined the smile on her lips at the other end. ‘I wouldn’t dream of it’ she said.

He was about to hang up when a knock came at his office door - a familiar rhythm in iambic pentameter. 

‘Come on in Moz!’ he shouted as he bade his mom goodbye.

Mozzie appeared, looking slightly better than the previous day - slightly being the operative word. Following the shock of finding his beloved safe house ransacked, colour had now returned to his cheeks. But he still had that crazed look in his eyes.

‘Did you check for bugs?’ he asked, looking around Neal’s office suspiciously.

Neal chuckled. ‘Moz, this is an art school, my art school. I don’t need to check for bugs.’

‘That’s what they want you to think’ Mozzie said as took a seat across from Neal. He began immediately to tap his foot nervously.

‘Any news?’ Neal asked.

‘Considering I’m not comfortable going through the normal channels for reporting a crime, I find myself somewhat limited in my resources.’

‘You want me to talk to Peter? Maybe he can call in a favour, keep things under the radar.’

Mozzie frowned. ‘Once a suit always a suit’ he grunted.

Neal walked around the desk and settled on the edge, facing his old buddy. ‘Did you make the rounds of your other places?’

Mozzie nodded. ‘Nothing disturbed. Yet. They must have seen me going in an out of Monday.’

‘Did you check to see if anything was missing?’

His previous state of anxiety had been over the top, not conducive to doing an in-depth search of his place.

‘My Juan Gris and a couple of my matching Horace Pippins are missing’ Moz said with a pout.

Neal frowned. ‘Hardly your most expensive pieces. They’re both pretty obscure’ he commented. 

‘They must have caught their eye. But I’m sure that wasn’t what they were looking for’ Mozzie said. 'They walked right past my Matisse and never touched my Robert Ameson bust.’

‘Moz, it weighs almost a hundred and fifty pounds, not ideal for a slash and dash.’

‘Whoever they are, they have no taste’ Mozzie said with disdain.

‘So… any theories.’

Mozzie leaned in and dropped his voice to a mere whisper. ‘Neal, I think there’s something in the storage unit I bought last week. I think that’s what they’re after.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘Security called, said they spotted some suspicious activity snooping around the storage facility.’ 

‘What do you want to do?’ Neal asked although he already feared the answer. Why was it Mozzie’s problems always seemed to land in his lap?

Mozzie wagged his eyebrows. 

‘You want me to help you go through everything to see what we can find?’ Neal said, answering his own question.

The older man grew agitated. ‘Neal, those dollar bills I found are just the tip of the iceberg. There must be something much more valuable stashed in there somewhere.’

Neal sighed. ‘How much stuff is in there? Exactly.’

‘Not that much’ Mozzie said without making eye contact, an obvious exaggeration.

‘I suppose I could give you a couple of hours maybe… I don’t know… Wednesday night?’

Mozzie was on his feet gesticulating wildly. ‘Neal this is top priority stuff. Whoever broke into Monday might strike again at one of my other safe houses. I was hoping you could take the rest of the day off and we could drive on over and check things out.’

Neal looked at the pile of papers on his desk, the financial statement sitting on top, taunting him. He sighed.

‘I was thinking of surprising Liam at school and letting him drive home. Maybe we can enlist his help.’

‘Many hands make lighter work’ Mozzie said with a sudden spring in his step.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

It was like being single all over again. No obligations, no need to rush home to make sure everyone got fed, homework got done, baths were drawn, bedtime stories read. Those days were long gone and tonight with Neal and Liam out with Mozzie, Sara had decided to stay late at the office. Hope was working at the gallery until nine, Caitlin was heading out to an early movie with a friend and Raffie… well, Raffie had been fed and let out when Caitlin had popped home. Now he would settle by the front door and snore loudly, waiting patiently for the first of his humans to return to the fold.

Sara had worked countless late nights in her office at Sterling Bosch back when she'd been a young, hungry, overachieving insurance investigator out to prove herself to the world. Funny how back then every single case seemed so important, every task on her to do list so urgent. Eager to show her loyalty to the firm, she would work late into the night interrupted only by the cleaners whose arrival was a reminder that it had gone past ten o'clock and that she needed to get some shuteye before returning by seven the next morning.

Marriage and parenthood had changed all that. It had taught her that no matter how late she worked, there would always be another email to reply to, another phone call to return, another case that required her attention. The trick was to put work in its own little box on the shelf at the end of the day and fully embrace the family life she'd been fortunate enough to fall into. To her surprise, her decision to put work in its place hadn't impacted negatively on her reputation - quite the contrary. She'd paid her dues and had been duly rewarded with a promotion: head of Sterling Bosch's squad of top notch investigators whose job it was to deal with the firm's most elite and demanding clients.

But for tonight, it was a return to the old days, time to put in some extra hours and prepare for a big meeting with a new client the following day. And bonus… she could have whatever she wanted for dinner. There was certainly no shortage of food options in the two block radius surrounding the offices of Sterling Bosch: Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Tex-Mex. She'd just reached into the bottom drawer of her desk for inspiration when Lydia Jordan appeared in the doorway to her office.

'What are you still doing here?' Sara asked her underling.

The woman standing before her was more than fifteen years her junior and her best investigator bar none. Lydia Jordan had been a permanent fixture at Sterling Bosch for over a decade, long enough for Sara to realize her protégée was cut from the same cloth as she was - a committed, hard working investigator with an unwavering work ethic. Over time, not only had the two women developed a successful working relationship, they'd bonded and become close friends — so much so that she and Neal were godparents to Lydia and Sam Jordan's eldest daughter, Beatrice.

Lydia flopped down on the chair across from Sara and grabbed a handful of menus Sara had just flung onto her desk.

'I figured I'd stay late and keep you company - give you a hand with tomorrow's presentation. You know boss, when you look good, you make all of us look good' she replied as she began perusing the takeout menus.

Sara lifted an eyebrow in question. 'Don't you have a husband and kids to go home to?'

'I could say the same about you' Lydia retorted with a smirk.

'Contrary to you, mine are all grown up and they don't need me any more' Sara replied with just a touch of melancholy.

'I doubt that. Anyway, staying late is a break from having to put up with Bea and Chloe arguing all through dinner, picking each other apart. Sam can handle things for one night. I figure you and I can either run around like chickens with our heads cut off in the morning or we could do this the civilized way - get something to eat and work on the presentation tonight.'

Sara smiled, pleased with the extra help - and the company. She gave a head nod in the direction of the menus. 'So what do you think?'

'Thai?' Lydia asked, holding up a flyer.

'Sounds good to me.'

Lydia began to fiddle with her phone, preparing to place their order. 'Spring or summer rolls?' she asked as she covered the mouthpiece with her hand.

'Spring. Oh and no nuts on the pad thai.'

Lydia finished up and looked over at Sara who was busy tidying up her desk to make room for the food. With Beatrice and Chloe demanding most of her time and work so hectic, it seemed the women hardly ever got a chance to chat anymore.

'So when's your court date?' Lydia asked out of the blue.

Sara's face changed, muscles tightening around her mouth. 'Week after next' she said quietly.

'How are you feeling about it?'

Sara shrugged attempting to put a good face on it; she'd momentarily forgotten she was talking to someone who knew her inside and out.

'I know it doesn't change the outcome but I want to stare the asshole down while the judge finds him guilty.'

'I get it. Closure.'

Sara scoffed. 'That's what Neal said' she replied. 'I guess that's about as good a word as any.'

The incident she'd be testifying about had occurred almost two and a half years earlier. She and Neal had accidentally gotten mixed up in an international spy ring when Neal had stepped in to help a woman who was being attacked on a street corner. Unbeknownst to him, the woman had been involved in selling state secrets to competing American interests and had slipped the incriminating evidence in Neal's coat pocket for safekeeping. Subsequently, two North Korean nationalists had broken into the Caffrey home in search of the goods and having come up empty, they'd abducted Sara to use as leverage.

The following two days had been a nightmare for Sara who was drugged and sexually abused by one of the two men. It had been an awfully long road to recovery and she still had moments of panic whenever she was left alone at home for any length of time. The two men had been arrested on espionage charges and were both purging decades of hard time; an additional sentence for sexual assault would hardly make a difference. But as Sara healed, she'd become determined to face her attacker and get justice for herself.

Lydia's hand was on hers and Sara gave her a sad smile. It was nice to know she had people in her corner.

'Well, for what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing. But it won't be easy to come face to face with the guy after all this time.'

Sara nodded as she stared into space. 'Or to have to tell the story all over again… But I've got all the power this time. He can't hurt me' she said, her voice uncharacteristically hard.

She snapped out of her trance and looked at her friend. 'And Neal will be there with me. Mindy too' she added, referring to her lawyer and Cody's mom, Mindy Miller.

'I'm proud of you. I mean… I've always looked up to you, that's no secret' Lydia said with a tentative smile. 'You're an amazing investigator and you've taught me so much. But this… standing up for yourself when it would be easier to just walk away… well, kudos boss.'

The sound of footsteps was heard in the outer office and the ladies looked up to find their dinner arriving.

Sara reached for her purse but Lydia touched her arm. 'No way. This one's on me.'

WCWCWC

Liam was surprised to find the family car parked in front door of White Plains High with his dad dangling the car keys in front of his eyes.

He spotted his uncle Mozzie waving to him from the back seat. 'What's going on?'

'Moz needs our help digging through the storage unit he bought. You interested?'

'Yeah!' Liam replied with a little too much enthusiasm.

He'd been curious about what his uncle Mozzie had stumbled onto ever since he'd seen those rare dollar bills he'd brought over to the house.

'So how much does a storage unit cost?' he asked as he took the wheel, pointing the car in direction of the Bronx, the location of Henderson Storage Units.

His dad gave him a sideways glance. 'Never mind how much. Buying abandoned storage units is like playing the slot machines. Most of the time you walk away empty handed.'

Mozzie remained silent in the back seat, biting his tongue. In his experience, he'd had rather a fair bit of luck where storage units were concerned. For years, he and June had attended the monthly auctions and he liked to think he had a good eye for spotting potentially valuable stuff. The trick was knowing where to offload the treasures (or trash) you found in order to get the biggest payday.

'But, you know…' Liam insisted. 'Ball park, how much?'

Mozzie perked up; he still had so much to teach his godson. 'It depends on how full it is. Unless I spot something I really want, I figure each box or piece of furniture is worth about twenty bucks. The more stuff is in the unit, the more it's worth and the higher people are tempted to bid. But like your dad says, it's a crapshoot. I like to think I have a good eye for these things.'

'Grandma June used to do it?' Liam asked.

'Your grandma June was a pro at it! She had amazing instincts. We would head out every first Tuesday of the month. You only get a few minutes to see what's inside and then the bidding starts. The trick is to see how much interest there is, feel out the competition.'

'The competition?'

'Yeah, you know… the regulars. Sometimes people have inside knowledge of what's inside. So you need to see where the bidding's going, not speak up too fast. Once, I found a rare coin collection that netted me over five thousand bucks.'

'Once!' Neal called out from the passenger seat. 'Out of how many Moz? Be honest.'

Liam was sounding way too interested in this scheme and Neal was eager to nip his interest in the bud. If his son was looking to make some cash, a good, steady summer job was a much surer bet.

Mozzie looked out the window, aloof. 'I don't know…' he mumbled. 'I'll admit, sometimes I just break even but it's a rush every single time.'

Neal rolled his eyes. So much for trying to keep Liam off the scent.

Arriving at their destination, they found a parking spot close to Mozzie's newly acquired unit and Liam parked the car as they all piled out.

'Good job buddy' Neal said with a tap to Liam's back. His driving was improving with every outing and Neal was relieved to find his son had inherited his father's driving prowess and not his mom's lacklustre skills.

Units 750 to 775 were lined up all in a row and Neal instantly spotted Mozzie's - the one with additional locks and bars: unit 766. He and Liam stood back, watching as Mozzie worked the locks keeping his treasure (or trash) safe. The door rolled up and Neal let out a gasp at just how full the unit was - more like spilling over with furniture, mysterious boxes and plenty of baubles. He felt an unexpected tingle, a throwback to the old days.

'How long before you have to empty it out?' he asked Mozzie.

'I've got forty-eight hours but I thought we could make a start with that dresser' he said, pointing to an old weathered piece of furniture which had been stuffed in on the very edge of the rollup door.

Neal couldn't help but notice Liam's eyes shining brightly. He was immediately on the piece of furniture, tugging at it in an effort to pull it out into the open space. Neal came to his rescue; the dresser was unexpectedly heavy.

'Any idea who owned this unit?' Neal asked his old friend.

Mozzie shook his head no.

'Might give us better insight into what's in here if we knew' Neal mused, his interest piqued.

'I asked but… confidentiality' Mozzie replied with a sideways glance in Neal's direction.

'Oh yeah?' Neal said with a mischievous look in his eyes. 'I imagine they keep all that information locked up in that office we saw when we came in.'

Liam picked up on something in his father's voice. 'Maybe we can break in and take a peek' he said brazenly.

Neal turned to stare at his son. 'No!' he said with just the tiniest of hesitations. 'Nobody's breaking in anywhere!'

He seemed to lack the conviction Mozzie was used to hearing whenever his ex-partner was drawing a firm line in the sand.

'Walking in… now that would be different, right?' he offered.

Neal pretended not to hear but Mozzie could tell his mind was already in overdrive, working out the possibilities.

He leaned in towards Neal and wagged his eyebrows.

'Wally Burns?' he murmured under his breath.

Liam picked up on the exchange. 'Who's Wally Burns?'

WCWCWC

The loud crash reverberated all the way to the backyard where Elizabeth Burke was having tea and dessert with her sister Penny, their first real opportunity to catch up since she'd arrived.

'What the —' Penny cried out as she got to her feet and rushed inside.

Her ten-year-old son stood in the middle of the Burke living room with his baseball mitt in his hand, looking shellshocked. All around him lay broken glass and twisted pieces of metal.

'Bryce McKinnon! What have you done?' she shouted.

El immediately recognized the broken pieces as the heirloom tiffany lamp Peter had inherited from his mom after she'd passed away. The only piece he'd inherited from her.

'I was just tossing the ball in the air…' the boy said, eyes lowered in shame.

Elizabeth was already in the kitchen, getting the broom and attending to the mess. Penny, on the other hand, seemed intent on berating her son.

'What did I say about the ball in the house?'

'You and Aunt Elizabeth were in the backyard and I thought it would disturb you if I went out there to play.'

Penny scoffed. Elizabeth swept.

'It's okay honey' El said reassuringly. 'Accidents happen.'

'Go on upstairs and sit quietly for awhile' the boy's mom ordered as if he were a toddler in need of a time out.

'But Brie is up there' he whined.

'I don't care. Take your tablet and go have a time out.'

El was feeling sorry for the boy; Penny had a heavy hand when it came to her kids and Bryce really was a sweet kid.

'Your uncle Peter should be home anytime. Maybe after he's eaten, you two can go to the park and throw the ball around for a while' she suggested, hoping to put a positive spin on things.

Bryce shrugged and headed upstairs, leaving the two women to finish cleaning up.

WCWCWC

Neal stormed into the tiny office of Henderson's Storage Units with Liam following close behind.

'Excuse me sir' he said to the funny little man sitting there. 'I thought you should know someone is trying to break into one of your units.'

The man behind the counter stared back, eyes wild. 'What do you mean break in?'

'My son and I we were down in row 400 back there' Neal said breathlessly as he pointed off towards the horizon. 'Somebody showed up and started banging on one of the units.'

'He had a thing… sort of an axe' Liam added, arms gesticulating.

Neal gave him a wary look. An axe? Seriously?

The little man slipped off his stool. To Neal's surprise, he was no taller standing than he'd been sitting down — no more than five foot two with curly dark hair and a thick moustache. Add a painter's cap on his thick mane of hair and you had a Luigi lookalike. The guy reached for something under the counter, bringing into view a baseball bat which he grasped with both hands as he stepped around the counter to follow Neal and Liam out.

'Show me' he said, his face growing red.

Neal held the door open for him and let him lead the way.

Dropping his voice, he turned to look at his son with an admonishing look. 'Lookout, that's all' he murmured under his breath.

Liam nodded and watched Luigi and Neal disappear down the main aisle towards the far side of the large lot, the little man waving the baseball bat menacingly.

'Psst, Uncle Moz!' Liam called out as Mozzie appeared from around the corner. He looked around and once satisfied no one was watching, he slipped into the small office.

'Stay put' he mumbled to Liam before closing the office door behind him.

Neal had drawn the line at Liam acting as lookout. There was no way his son was getting involved in searching the office for the identity of the previous owner of the storage unit that now belonged to Mozzie. Best case scenario, Sara would never find out, worse case she did find out and he'd have to convince her that it had all been Mozzie's idea. He could always remind her that she'd been a fan of a good old fashioned Wally Burns when it suited her back in the day.

Liam's excitement grew and he couldn't resist opening the door a crack and peeking inside. 'Did you find anything?'

Mozzie looked up with a scowl. 'Get out there and keep watch.'

Liam gave him a scowl of his own. Things were always a lot more exciting when his uncle Moz was around. He reluctantly stepped back outside, pointing his gaze in the direction of the distraction his dad had so convincingly created. Not for the first time, he reflected on how much fun it must have been in the old days when his uncle and his dad teamed up to pull some imaginative cons. His godfather had recounted many of their adventures - travelling the world on the hunt for treasures. His dad didn't like romanticizing their past crimes and he tended to put the kibosh on Mozzie's tall tales which, of course, were always embellished for dramatic effect. With time, Liam had learned to save those discussions for when his parents or his uncle Peter weren't around.

He glanced through the glass, watching in admiration as Mozzie took out his lock pick set and proceeded to expertly unlock one of the three cabinets lining the back wall. Mozzie looked up and glared at his nephew, giving him the unmistakeable 'get out of here' hand wave.

Liam returned his sights to the end of the long row of storage units, anticipating Neal and Luigi's imminent return. It wouldn't be long now. Right on cue, he saw the two men walking towards him with Neal taking his sweet time. Liam gave a hard rap on the office door and turned his attention to the two vending machines right outside, pretending to study what was on offer. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a couple of singles.

Now he could hear the voices of the two men as they got closer. His heart was beating so hard, he couldn't tell what they were saying but he did his best to play it cool, slipping a single into one of the machines and making a selection. Mozzie still hadn't emerged and there was no other escape from the small office except for a window the size of a breadbox.

He cringed as the men reached the door and Luigi gave him a suspicious look while pulling it open.

Mozzie spilled out, walking right into the little man.

'What the hell were you doing in there?' Luigi asked, the baseball bat still conspicuously in his hand.

'Just using your washroom' Mozzie announced as he fiddled with his belt buckle.

Luigi stared back suspiciously. 'That's for staff use only' he said sternly.

Mozzie gave a shrug and a polite smile. 'Did you get the guy?' he asked Neal.

Neal did his best imitation of a disappointed look. 'Afraid not, he must have run off when I yelled at him.'

Liam looked from his dad to his uncle and back again, admiring their chutzpah. Luigi on the other hand, stepped into the small office and glanced around the room, suddenly wary of the three men's true intentions. He walked up to the cash register and glanced inside before sighing in relief. Everything else appeared just as he'd left it, papers scattered on the countertop, filing cabinets padlocked behind him.

He looked up at Neal's innocent face. 'Well… thanks for letting me know anyway' he muttered. 'I'll keep an eye out for him.'

Neal nodded and looked at Mozzie. 'Ready to go?'

'Yup. All done here.'

The boys turned their backs on Luigi and began the trek back to unit 766 with Liam grinning widely all the way.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Diana called out for the third time. ‘Ready or not, we’re leaving in five minutes!’

Olivia instantly appeared, eyes wide. ‘Do you think Uncle Peter will have veggie burgers?’ she asked as she fiddled with her ponytail.

Diana looked up from the salad she was finishing up. ‘I think Uncle Peter knows by now that you’re a vegetarian’ she told her eldest daughter.

‘I mean it!’ she shouted, interrupting herself.

Down the hall, Ginny Berrigan sat on her bed with her new phone in her hand, eyes glued to the screen. She’d been inputting all her contact numbers for the past hour. Now that she’d finally gotten the phone she’d longed for, she didn’t want to miss a single text. From anyone. After all, being fourteen was all about staying in touch with your friends, creeping your enemies, finding out who was making out with who and being in the know about what parties were happening and who was no longer the cool girl.

There was a knock on her door. ‘Ginny?’

Christie peeked in, spotting her daughter sitting on the bed, looking like she had all the time in the world. ‘Don’t you hear Mom calling you? We’re going to be late.’

Ginny glanced up and immediately returned her gaze to her phone screen as a ping was heard.

‘You know I had to do an awful lot of fast talking to get you that thing’ Christie said from the doorway. ‘Don’t make me regret it.’

‘I won’t’ Ginny mumbled as she finally got to her feet.

‘And you’re not going to a family barbecue wearing that’ her mom declared as she examined her up and down. The top she was wearing left little to the imagination and it looked as if she was wearing some sort of push-up bra further accentuating her blossoming bosom.

‘Why not? Everybody’s wearing these’ she replied with a scowl.

‘Yeah, to go to the pool’ Christie replied. ‘Hurry up, t-shirt and put on some shoes you won’t fall off of. Hurry!’

The first Burke barbecue of the season was well underway by the time the Berrigan-Coopers arrived. The usual suspects were all present plus El’s visiting sister and her two kids. There was loud chatter, background music and the unmistakeable scent of meat grilling on Peter’s brand new gas barbecue. Clusters of guests were scattered around the backyard and throughout the kitchen and dining room. The women had claimed the table under the gazebo. Upon arriving, Diana gravitated towards them with her wife in tow.

‘Finally!’ El said, pulling up a couple of extra chairs for the newcomers. ‘We were starting to think you weren’t coming.’

Diana rolled her eyes. ‘Try dragging two teenagers to a family get-together’ she moaned. 

A flurry of giggles was heard coming from the group of younger boys as they chased a frisbee around the yard without a care in the world. Meanwhile at the barbecue, Neal stood next to Peter, commenting on his grilling skills while Clinton, Hope, Liam and Cam stood around taking in the playful banter between the two men.

‘You need to start it on high, get that nice crust on the meat’ Neal was complaining.

‘Why don’t you let me do this my way, the right way’ Peter replied as he sipped on his beer. ‘When we go to your place, you can incinerate the meat all you want.’

Hope giggled, a sound that was music to everyone’s ears. She was looking more relaxed since the weekend despite the fact her latest surgery was right around the corner.

‘Dad, can I have a beer?’ Liam asked as he held up his glass of pop.

Neal scoffed. ‘Maybe next year’ he said dismissively. 

He lifted up his non-alcoholic version of what passed for beer these days. ‘In the meantime, you can have one of mine if you want’ he offered.

Liam scoffed and took a sip of his soft drink as Neal looked around at the group. 

‘I’m going to get a refill, anybody want anything?’

‘I’ll have another one’ Cam said, holding up his beer.

Clinton handed Neal his empty bottle. ‘Me too.’

‘I’m good’ Hope murmured.

‘More root beer Liam?’ Neal asked with a playful grin.

He could hear the sound of giggling through the closed door; it seemed the kitchen was the refuge of the teenage crowd. As the door opened, a sudden and eerie silence descended on the room. Apparently, whatever they’d been discussing wasn’t meant for the ears of a middle-aged man, no matter how cool he might think he was. 

The four young women were clustered around the kitchen island, looking like they’d just pulled off the heist of the century. Caitlin smiled at her foster dad. At eighteen, she was the eldest of the foursome, that awkward age where she was a little young to hang with the grown-ups and a little mature for the likes of Virginia Berrigan.

‘Hey!’ Neal called out as Olivia and Ginny came towards him, each planting a kiss on his cheek.

‘Hi Uncle Neal’ they replied in harmony.

He thought he picked up on the faint odour of beer on somebody’s breath but he didn’t let on, instead heading straight to the fridge to fulfill his drink orders.

‘I see you’ve all met Brianna’ he said as he smiled at Peter’s niece. ‘You enjoying your visit so far?’

The fifteen-year-old girl smiled, looking at him with stars in her eyes. Neal had seen that stunned look plenty of times before; there were lots of starry-eyed teenage girls at the school of art. Frankly, it was kind of flattering to see he still had what it took to turn heads despite the deepening creases around his eyes and his greying temples. 

Once loaded up with drinks, he gave the girls a bright Caffreyesque smile. ‘Have a good time ladies’ he said, his voice deep. 

‘He’s gorgeous!’ Brianna said once he’d disappeared into the backyard.

‘Ewwww!’ the Berrigan sisters moaned in harmony.

‘What? He’s totally hot!’ the young girl said as her eyes followed Neal’s backside out into the yard. 

‘He’s ancient’ Ginny commented with a grimace. ‘Besides, he’s our uncle. We’ve known him since we were born.’

‘I get it’ Caitlin piped up as she looked over at Brianna. ‘When I first met Mr. C, I had a major crush on him.’

Brianna turned to look at the petite blonde who’d been rather quiet up to this point.

‘So did you ever…’

‘Oh my god! Stop it!’ she replied. ‘That’s just gross, he’s like… like my dad.’

‘How come you call him Mr. C and you call his wife by her first name?’

‘Yeah… that’s complicated’ Caitlin answered, looking away. 

Even the Berrigan girls who were part of the Caffreys’ extended family had no idea what a rocky start Caitlin had had when she’d first come to live with her new family. How she’d actually stole from them when they’d been kind enough to invite her into their home. Or how in a bid for attention, she’d accused Neal of behaving inappropriately towards her. She’d come a long way over the past three years and even though she still liked to live on the edge, she’d grown appreciative of having a safe, loving home. She was determined not to blow her last chance at having a good life. 

Brianna stepped towards the door, peeking out into the yard. ‘Who’s that cute boy?’ she asked, pointing at Liam.

‘That’s Liam’ Olivia said. ‘He’s Neal and Sara’s son.’

Brianna wagged her eyebrows as the other three girls giggled. ‘Forget it’ Ginny said. ‘He plays for the other team.’

The smile disappeared from Brianna’s face as she continued to survey the group. ‘And what about him?’ 

Cam was tall and slim, frankly not her type but he had a gorgeous smile and thick wavy shoulder length hair he’d tucked into a man bun for the occasion, a real artsy type.

‘That’s Cam. He’s engaged to Hope, Liam’s sister’ Olivia replied.

Ginny reached under the island for the beer she’d hidden there and took a healthy gulp. 

‘You’ve got it bad girl’ she said, handing the bottle over to Brianna. ‘You’re not going to meet any guys here.’

Brianna sighed as she took a sip, passing the bottle to Caitlin who did the same. 

‘But there is this party on Friday night’ Ginny continued. ‘I bet I could get you an invite. Lots of cute guys there.’

Caitlin passed the bottle of beer over to Olivia who crinkled her nose in response.

‘We shouldn’t be raiding the beer’ she chastised. ‘Moms are going kill us.’

Ginny rolled her eyes and reached into her purse, pulling out a fat juicy joint. 

‘You guys want to go for a walk?’

WCWCWC

Mozzie preferred to arrive fashionably late at these affairs - frankly, he enjoyed the attention given to latecomers. He followed the sound of laughter up the steps to Casa Burke and stepped inside the house, helping himself to a glass of wine from a bottle sitting on the kitchen counter. The sound of voices and laughter drifted in from the back yard and he was just about to join the festivities when the back door opened and Neal stepped in, eyes bright with curiosity. 

‘So? How’d your research go?’ he asked.

‘You were right’ Mozzie replied. ‘James Peters wasn’t his real name.’ 

‘Did you ever really think it was’ Neal said with knowing smile. The name was just about as common as John Doe.

Mozzie’s voice dropped to a murmur even though the two men were alone. ‘It’s an alias. Guess who he really was.’

‘Was?’ Neal repeated with a quizzical look.

Mozzie made a motion with his hand, moving him along. ‘Guess.' 

‘I don’t know Moz. Peter Pan?’ he replied with a look of annoyance.

Mozzie chose to ignore the misplaced sarcasm. ’Gerard Billings’ he said in an exaggerated whisper. 

‘The Gerard Billings?’ Neal said. ‘As in leader of the Chicago Dragons? Didn’t he die about six months ago?’

Mozzie nodded. ‘Electrocuted in his bathtub… very mysterious stuff. Police ruled it an accident but it was always suspicious. Rumour has it he had a huge falling out with his crew just before he passed. They accused him of holding out on them.’

‘Weren’t they suspected in that big heist at the Fours Seasons in Chicago back in 08?’

‘A huge diamond heist’ Mozzie replied, gesticulating for emphasis. ‘Uncut beauties and some jewelry estimated at eighty-five million.'

Neal let out a whistle. 

‘Apparently, some of his crew accused him of sitting on about ten million worth of diamonds.’

‘You don’t suppose…’ Neal’s mind was in overdrive.

‘Stranger things have happened. The missing diamonds were never recovered’ Mozzie said, his breathing growing unsteady. ‘Neal, I could be sitting on millions of dollars worth of loot.’

Neal glanced out the window nervously. Peter was still barbecuing under Cam and Hope’s watchful eyes. 

‘How long has the stuff been in storage?’

‘He rented the unit about a month after the big heist using the alias. According to the records, he paid his monthly rent without fail up until six months ago. When the payments stopped, they gave him a couple of months grace then put it up for auction.’

‘Moz, we’ve got to get the contents of that unit out of there ASAP.’

‘We?’ Mozzie said with a scowl.

‘You. I mean you. You’ve got to get that stuff squirrelled away somewhere safe so you can go through it piece by piece.’

Mozzie nodded. ‘I already rented some space in Queens. It’ll be safe there until we have a chance to go through it with a fine tooth comb.’

‘We?’ Neal said.

‘You’re not going to let me do this on my own, are you?’

‘Chicken and dogs are ready’ came Peter’s thunderous voice as Sara and El came charging through the door to collect the rest of the food.

‘Mozzie!’ the women said in harmony. 

‘I didn’t know you were here’ added El with a kiss to his cheek. Mozzie beamed, pleased with the attention.

Sara picked up on the tension in the room and sidled up to her husband. ‘What are you two boys up to?’ she asked.

Neal brought his hand to rest on her back and kissed her sweetly on the cheek. 

‘Nothing. Not a thing.' 

WCWCWC

‘Your dad tells me you’ve got a scout coming to meet with you next week’ Peter said between bites of his burger.

Liam looked down at his plate, as always bashful. Neal smiled proud as a peacock. He took a bite of his chicken and let out a howl of pain.

‘What’s wrong?’ El asked, alarmed.

Sara’s hand was instantly on her arm. ‘Don’t fuss over him. It’s his own damn fault. He’s got a sore tooth and refuses to go to the dentist.’

Neal recovered and swallowed his bite, glaring at his wife. He turned to look at Peter, carrying on with the conversation Sara had just interrupted. ‘His coach says several colleges have shown a real interest in him’ he said with a wide grin.

‘Are you surprised?’ Peter added. ‘He was league MVP two years in a row.’

He slapped his nephew’s back enthusiastically as Liam kept staring down at his food. ‘Congratulations buddy! It looks like you’re going to have your pick of colleges.’

‘I guess’ Liam mumbled, suddenly uncomfortable with all the attention.

Mozzie weighed in, looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. ‘He gets it from our side of the family you know’ he said with exaggerated pride. 

There were groans all around except for Liam who seemed to relax and grinned widely. 

Giggling was heard as the four young women reappeared from the house, eyes a little too bright and giddier than five-year-olds at a Wiggles concert. Neal’s eyes went instantly to Caitlin face, noticing immediately that she was buzzed. Unfortunately, he’d seen her in this state on a number of occasions although as of late she’d been making an effort to behave.

‘There’s plenty of food girls’ Peter said, pointing to the table he’d set up by the barbecue. ‘Hot dogs, chicken, burgers, steak. Help yourselves. The one on the left is a veggie burg for you Liv.’

The girls loaded up their plates and headed to a quiet corner where a smaller table had been set up. Neal glanced Sara’s way; she too had picked up on the unnatural brightness in Caitlin’s eyes. She lay her hand on his leg and squeezed, a silent plea for him to hold off until after the festivities before getting into it with their foster daughter. 

Three years after arriving on the Caffreys’ doorstep, Caitlin Somersby remained a work in progress. More than ever before, she had her good days, attending school regularly, adhering to her curfew most nights and respecting the rules of the house. But she still had major issues with authority and she continued to test her foster parents at every turn. It was a strange dance - almost as if she were stepping right up to the line, daring them to kick her out thus confirming what she’d always thought, that she was nothing but trouble and always would be. But Neal was more stubborn than she was and he wasn’t about to give up on her the way he’d been let down in his youth. She could keep pushing him away… he wasn’t giving up.

Sara let out a sigh of relief as Neal seemed to relax.

‘Pretty good job on the chicken’ he said to Peter with a shrug. ‘You should really marinate it though, it adds more depth.’

El and Sara exchanged eye rolls. Their husbands loved to show each other up whenever they had the chance. 

Peter shrugged off Neal’s comment. ‘As I recall, the last time I had barbecued chicken at your place it tasted like rubber.’

‘Alright, alright. Cut it out’ said Elizabeth, ever the peacemaker. She turned to look at her sister who was growing uncomfortable.

‘Don’t mind those two Penny, they like to go at it like a couple of testosterone fuelled teenage boys. Each one likes to think he’s smarter than the other.’

‘Yeah’ Sara chimed in. ‘It’s been going on for years. Your best bet is to just ignore them. That’s what we do.’

Penny relaxed and turned towards Hope and Cam. ‘Peter tells me you both work with him at the gallery… what’s it called? The Raphael?’

Hope nodded. ‘Cam and I run the place’ she said. ‘Uncle Peter does all the financial stuff and helps out with customers when things get a little crazy.’

‘I like the name. Where’d it come from?’ Penny asked between bites.

Neal and Sara gave each other knowing looks. ‘Just… an artist we both admire’ Neal said with a mischievous smile.

‘I’d love to visit while we’re here’ the woman said. ‘El tells me you also have a school of art?’

Neal smiled. As much as he loved the gallery, the June Ellington School or Art was his newest and, in his opinion, greatest accomplishment. He was proud of the work they did there. 

‘A very good friend of ours left me some money and Sara and I wanted to honour her memory’ he explained. ‘So we set up a school of art in the Bronx for underprivileged kids. It’s a busy place.’

Clinton and Diana had been at the grand opening of the school a few years back and their kids had all benefited from taking classes there at one time or another.

‘Neal is being very modest’ Diana said. ‘He’s done an amazing job setting up the school.’

‘Well, it’s a labour of love’ Neal said with unusual modesty. 

He glanced over in the corner where the girls were chatting animatedly. The jury was still out on Caitlin but he was hopeful that eventually, she would turn out to be one of the success stories coming out of the school.

‘Hope teaches there and she runs the classes at the gallery’ Cameron said with pride. 

‘Very different clienteles, believe me’ Hope added. ‘But I love the variety. I could take you to the school for a visit if you like.’

Penny nodded. ‘I’d love that. What about tomorrow?’

Hope’s eyes clouded over momentarily. ‘I… I can’t tomorrow but maybe Friday.’

‘It’s a date’ El said. ‘Why don’t we all go for lunch after the tour? There’s that nice place over on Findlay. Sara, you think you can get away for an hour?’

‘Maybe. I’ll have to let you know.’

Ivy and Clinton’s boys, Michael and Jonathan and El’s nephew Bryce, had long ago finished eating and were playing catch when a cry for help was heard from the back of the yard. Jonathan came running towards his parents, holding his nose as blood trickled through his fingers.

Ivy and Clinton were instantly on their feet, abandoning their meals.

‘Let me have a look son’ Clinton said through his youngest son’s howls.

Ivy let out a gasp while Clinton struggled to remain calm. It looked like a visit to the emergency room was in their immediate future. 

‘I think we should have that looked at pal’ Clinton said to his son as the boy continued to sob.

The party kind of went downhill after that. Even the girls seemed to be coming down from their high although Neal and Sara seemed to have been the only ones to notice their altered state.

Once the guests had departed, Neal and Peter stood in the kitchen tidying up while Sara and Elizabeth cleaned up outside.

‘There’s always drama at your yearly barbecue’ Neal commented as he rinsed a plate and placed it on the dish rack. 

‘What are you talking about? There’s not always drama at my barbecues’ Peter countered defensively.

Neal gave him an eyebrow wag. ‘What about the year Diana and Christie had that big fight and ended up leaving before dessert?’

Peter listened, still not ready to concede Neal’s point.

‘Or the year Ivy went into labour right in the middle of dinner.’

‘I guess…’

‘Oh and then there was the year —’

‘Ok, ok, you’ve made your point. I guess we’ll just have to add tonight’s little misadventure to the list.’

Neal picked up a dishrag and began to dry the dishes while Peter finished packing up leftovers. 

‘So, what were you and Mozzie talking about earlier?’

‘Me and Moz?’ Neal said, buying a few seconds. ‘Nothing.’

‘Oh yeah?’ Peter said, turning to look his best friend straight in the eye. ‘I thought I detected that look in your eye.’

‘What look in my eye?’ Neal asked, turning away. Alas, Peter knew him all too well.

‘You know, the one you always used to get when you and Mozzie were up to something.’

Neal scoffed. ‘Seriously? Peter, that was twenty years ago.’

‘So? A leopard doesn’t change its spots.’

‘Oh, is this your once a criminal always a criminal speech?’ Neal asked, pretending to be offended. ‘Peter, I’m hurt.’

Peter felt a pang of guilt. ‘You’re right, sorry’ he mumbled.

Neal sighed. He wasn’t in the habit of keeping things from his best friend, not these days anyway. 

‘Do you remember Gerard Billings?’ he said, dropping his voice.

‘That mobster who worked out of Chicago?’

Neal nodded. ‘Mozzie bought a storage unit that used to belong to him. He’s convinced the guy hid some of his loot there.’

‘Didn’t he die under suspicious circumstances not too long ago? There was talk someone from his crew had taken him out.’

‘Electrocution. About six months ago.’

Peter nodded as the details came to him. He might not work at the Bureau anymore but he still kept up on the higher profile cases, compliments of Clinton and Diana.

The two men had seemingly forgotten all about cleaning up. They stood toe to toe, their faces intense as they discussed the mystery. 

‘What do you think?’ Peter asked.

‘Mozzie did find some rare singles in a mattress. Worth several thousand bucks. But the unit is full of… crap’ Neal explained. ‘He’s moving it all to some place he found near the school. I’m going to help him go through it all.’

Peter’s eyes shone brightly, that look that Neal recognized from when they’d worked those uncrackable cases.

He said the only thing he could think of. ‘You want to help?’

Peter’s response was immediate. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’ 

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Neal woke with a start when Sara entered the bedroom. He’d barely gotten any sleep and his mind was clouded, his body heavy with fatigue. Not only had he teetered all night between worrying about Hope’s surgery and Mozzie’s potential treasure, he’d been popping Advil every few hours to take the edge off the painful molar that had been throbbing non-stop like a son of a bitch. 

‘What’s up with you?’ Sara said. ‘You were tossing and turning all night.’

He forced one eye open. Sara stood there wrapped in nothing but a towel, her wet hair dripping onto her shoulders.

‘What time is it?’ he muttered. 

‘Just past seven thirty’ she replied as she took a seat on the edge of the bed. She ran her hand over his forehead, her face in an exaggerated pout. ‘What’s the matter, baby?’

She was using that infantilizing voice he hated - the ‘I’m here to take care of you’ tone that drove him nuts. Especially when he was feeling so crappy and just wanted to be left alone to stew in his own misery.

‘Just couldn’t sleep worrying about Hope’ he fibbed.

‘Hope is fine. Cam is with her and it’s not like it’s her first time. She’ll be in and out of Dr. White’s office in less than an hour’ she sighed ‘…and she’ll be our sweet, happy girl again.’

‘Until next time’ he groaned. ‘Liam gone?’

‘Yeah, he had an early practice.’

She leaned in closer to him and the top of her towel unravelled exposing her breasts. He smiled despite himself. If he hadn’t been feeling so totally miserable, he’d have definitely taken advantage of the situation. Sara, on the other hand, seemed to be fully aware of the effect she was having on him and was revelling in the moment.

‘I had an idea’ she cooed, running a finger down his arm. ‘I noticed you don’t have anything on at the office until noon and I’m good ’till eleven. Why don’t you let me treat you to breakfast before we go to work?’

She’d obviously checked his phone if she knew his schedule. He hated it when she checked his phone. Not that he had any secrets from her - well, not many anyway. He just hated the idea of someone knowing all his comings and goings. Call it his conman instincts; a guy had to keep a certain mystique even when it came to the woman he’d been sharing his life with for over twenty years. 

He rubbed his jaw and winced. ‘On a Thursday?’

‘What? We both need to eat. I feel like I haven’t spent anytime alone with you in ages?’

‘Honey, we’re barely ever apart’ he countered.

She ran her hand all the way up his arm and squeezed. ‘Yeah… but not alone. Just the two of us.’ 

He sat up and looked into her mischievous eyes. If he didn’t know better he’d swear she was conning him into something he didn’t want to do. What kind of trap could she be setting if all she wanted was to take him to breakfast? He leaned in and kissed the swell of her breast.

‘Okay… I’ll jump in the shower’ he said, his mood improving.

He had just stepped out of the bedroom when he crossed paths with Caitlin who was doing her best to slip by unnoticed.

‘I want to talk to you later young lady’ he grumbled as she hurried past.

‘I’ve got… something on later’ she said, refusing to look him in the eye.

‘Not anymore you don’t. Come home straight after school’ he replied just before slamming the bathroom door and putting an end to their brief exchange.

She had a pretty good idea what he wanted to talk to her about. It had been silly of her to hang with those girls at the Burke’s barbecue - and even sillier to partake of Ginny Berrigan’s secret stash. She was too old for all that silliness. But it had been slim pickings and hanging out with Sara and the other moms hadn’t felt right. Hope had Cam, Liam hated her; at least she’d gotten a good buzz on to help get her through the boring event. 

She found Hope and Cam at the kitchen table, munching on toast and sipping coffee. Hope was still in her pyjamas but Cameron looked sprightly, dressed and combed and ready to go.

Whenever Hope had any kind of medical appointment, it felt like a cloak of doom settled on the house on Meadowbrook Street. Everybody seemed more serious, more earnest, none of that fun, carefree atmosphere that usually dominated the Caffrey household. It had been a seesaw of emotions for two years now, everyone walking on eggshells around Hope.

Cam looked up when Caitlin walked in and gave her a smile. ‘There’s toast if you’re hungry’ he said, pointing to the table. 

‘How are you doing Hope?’ Caitlin asked as she took a seat.

To her surprise, Hope gave her a warm smile. ‘Fine. It’ll all be over in a few hours.’

Cam reached out for Hope’s hand and squeezed. ‘Last night was a nice distraction, huh babe?’

She nodded. ‘Watching Dad and Uncle Peter go at it is always good for a laugh.’

‘What’s with Mr. Burke’s niece?’ Cam asked. ‘She seemed a little…’

‘Boy crazy?’ Caitlin said with a grin.

He shrugged. ‘She kept flirting with Liam. Didn’t anybody tell her…’

‘Oh yeah, we tried. Maybe she thinks she’s that special girl who’s going to turn him’ Caitlin said with a giggle. 

She hesitated about speaking up about some of her observations from the previous night. To be honest, she’d been just as naughty as the other girls but the truth was she’d walked away with genuine concern for Virginia Berrigan. The fourteen-year-old seemed totally out of control. She wondered if her moms had any idea what their youngest daughter was up to. Then again, everyone had their own path to follow and she really shouldn’t be sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong.

Getting to her feet, she grabbed for a piece of toast and started collecting her things. 

‘Good luck today Hope’ she called out on her way out the door.

WCWCWC

Sara had beaten him to the car and was sitting in the driver’s seat when Neal stepped out the front door. He gave her a puzzled look as she waved him into the passenger’s seat.

‘What up?’

Normally when they were out together, Neal was the designated driver. Not by any false machismo on his part just because, frankly, Sara was a horrible driver and even though she disputed that fact vigorously, somewhere deep inside she knew it too.

‘You hardly slept. I thought you’d appreciate not having to drive.’

He settled in, rolling down his window. It was a gorgeous early summer day. He could put up with her shortcomings for a quick ride over to Mel’s Diner.

‘I heard you talking to Caitlin’ she said after a few moments of silence.

‘I want to know where she got the stuff’ he replied sternly. ‘You know, she really should know better. She was the oldest one there, what was she thinking exposing Ginny to that? Ginny needs a good role model not somebody who’s going to slip her pot at a family gathering. And what about Brianna? Peter’ll be upset if he finds out Caitlin was encouraging her to smoke weed.’

‘Maybe it wasn’t Caitlin’ Sara said.

He rolled his eyes. ‘I think we’ve been dealing with Caitlin and her shenanigans long enough to know what she’s capable of.’

‘Do you think anybody else noticed?’ he asked after a moment of quiet. Somehow, after all this time, it still mattered what Peter thought of him, including his ability to parent his foster daughter.

Sara shrugged. ‘I don’t know. It was pretty obvious to me but you and I have had plenty of experience detecting when a teenager is high.’

Neal stared out the window as they whizzed past Sinclair Street without slowing down. ‘What are you doing? I thought you were taking me to Mel’s.’

Sara smiled mysteriously. ‘I said I was taking you to breakfast. I didn’t say anything about Mel’s.’

Neal looked on disappointed. He’d been fantasizing about a short stack of Mel’s blueberry pancakes since they’d left the house.

‘So where are we going?'

She kept her eyes on the road. ‘You’ll like this place. It’s in that little mall on Madison.’

Neal felt goosebumps on his arm, a first twinge of suspicion. ‘You mean the mall Dr. Ball’s office is in?’ he asked as Sara made a right hand turn in that direction.

‘Yeah…’ she said quietly.

‘Sara…’ he said, turning to face her in the car. ‘You didn’t!’

‘I didn’t what?’ she replied doing her best to play dumb.

‘Sara Ellis, I swear to god, if you did what I think you did…’

It was too late, she was turning into the parking lot of the strip mall, parking sloppily, the driver’s side of the car hanging way over the line. She turned to face him.

‘Neal, you might not mind all that moaning and groaning about your tooth but I do’ she said as he shook his head in exasperation. ‘You’re not sleeping, you’re barely eating and if you don’t get that tooth looked at, you’re going to get… scurvy or something.’

He turned to look at her. ‘Scurvy?’ he said, deadpan.

‘Or something! You can get serious blood infections from a cavity, you know. It can even lead to heart problems.’

‘Thank you Dr. Oz!’ he grumbled, huffing and puffing as he opened the car door. 

‘Wait here’ he barked. ‘I don’t want you hovering inside like you’re my mother’ he warned, his voice angry.

Sara watched him stomp off towards the main door. And then, he disappeared.

WCWCWC

In another waiting room not too far away, Cameron Armstrong sat holding his fiancée’s hand. She was calm, resigned to her fate. In an hour or so, when she finally stepped out of her appointment, he would have his Hope back. His sweet, funny, happy Hope, the woman he’d fallen in love with and couldn’t wait to marry. For Cam, this had been a long, long trek. Watching as the woman he loved took baby steps towards full recovery - or as close to full recovery as was possible under the circumstances. 

She fluctuated between being sullen, moody, depressed and lengthy periods when she was the even tempered, happy young woman he’d met five years earlier. Just a few more procedures and a few more months of speech therapy and, he deigned to hope, all the pain and sadness would be left behind for good.

WCWCWC

When Neal stepped out of the examination room and into the waiting room, he could hear his wife’s throaty laugh off in the distance. There she was… adding insult to injury.

‘Here he is!’ called out Heather, the office receptionist as she spotted him coming out of what they teasingly referred to as the torture chamber. ‘All good Mr. Caffrey?’

Neal forced a smile, avoiding Sara’s intense gaze.

‘Everything okay honey?’ she asked in that motherly tone he loathed.

He ignored her and pulled out his wallet. 

‘It’s all good. Your wife just settled up’ said the perky young woman.

Could the humiliation be any more complete? Maybe if he was a good boy, he could get a pat on the head and a lollipop out of this.

‘So here are your two appointments for that root canal’ the woman said, handing Neal an appointment reminder.

He looked over at Sara, tempted to sarcastically ask if she wanted to put the card in her wallet for safekeeping but he managed to refrain.

‘Thanks’ he mumbled as he headed for the door with Sara lagging behind.

She caught up, lacing her arm in his. ‘Now we can have breakfast’ she said cheerfully as he leered at her.

‘Seriously?’

‘Come on Neal. You would have dragged this on for months if I hadn’t made that appointment.’

He was already halfway to the car, hands stuffed deep in his pockets like a rebellious teen.

‘Awww honey, don’t be like that’ she pleaded. ‘Let’s go eat. You’re allowed to eat, right?’

‘It was just a consult’ he replied curtly. ‘As if you didn’t know.’

She hurried her steps and got closer to him, once again attempting to lace her arm in his. She sensed less resistance this time.

‘Caffrey, I happen to love you’ she said in a warm voice. ‘If you could do something to ease my pain, even if I was giving you a hard time, wouldn’t you do it anyway?’

‘I asked you not to come in’ he replied, his anger beginning to dissipate.

She placed a kiss on his cheek as he winced. ‘You’re right, I’m sorry. I was worried’ she murmured. ‘Can you forgive me?'

He stared back blankly. For a moment, she wasn’t sure which way things were going to go. Neal could dig in his heels just as easily as he could forgive. Not forget, never forget… but forgive.

He exhaled loudly. ‘So this breakfast place of yours. You suppose they serve blueberry pancakes?’

WCWCWC

When Ginny Berrigan stepped out of her English class on Thursday morning, she had over a dozen texts on her shiny new phone. She wandered down the hallway towards the cafeteria where Hannah Wilson waited for her, reading her messages all the way. She was excited about the weekend and her return to Logan’s house for another great party. 

‘Been thinking of you all week’ came the first text from the young man. It was followed moments later by another. ‘Hope you’re coming tomorrow night.’

She banged out a quick response. ‘Wouldn’t miss it’ she typed just as Hannah called her over.

‘That was Logan’ Ginny announced with a bright smile. ‘He wanted to make sure I was coming to the party tomorrow night.’

Hannah stared back, mouth hanging open. ‘Are you nuts? Didn’t you learn your lesson last weekend?’

‘Of course I did. I learned to be more careful not to get caught’ Ginny giggled. ‘Besides, I met this new girl who’s visiting from out of town and I promised her I’d take her with me.’

‘You’re crazy!’ Hannah exclaimed. 

Ginny wagged her eyebrows and let her long hair tumble onto her shoulders. Life was grand. There were parties to go to and cute boys to get to know and she couldn’t be happier.

WCWCWC

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

The words stung. Will Allenby was by nature a very easygoing guy, one of the many reasons Liam Caffrey liked him so much. Their friendship had been rock solid ever since they’d bonded together against the class bully back in grade school. Will was someone Liam could count on, someone with whom he could share the everyday ups and downs of his life without fear of judgement. He was fun to be with, discreet, smart, witty and the fact that they shared a love of basketball had only served to solidify their friendship over the years. 

He’d been the first friend Liam had come out to, surprised to find his best buddy had known all along. And Liam was the one Will had turned to for advice when he’d decided to ask his girlfriend Josie out for that very first date back in ninth grade. 

But now, Will’s hazel eyes were staring back at him, his body drooping on the cold plastic cafeteria chair, looking defeated, hurt.

Liam looked up at his best friend from over his sandwich, eyes hesitant. ‘I just…. I was going to tell you.’

‘I thought you and I… I thought we told each other everything.’ Once again, the words stung as Liam felt his body fall back.

He put his sandwich down, his eyes growing more intense. ‘We do…’

‘Look, I get it. You’ve got Cody now and I’ve got Josie but… what does that have to do with us. I thought we were best friends.’

Liam stammered as he spoke. ‘We are, of course we are. But that’s just it.’

‘What do you mean?’

The steady hum of the cafeteria crowd buzzed around them as the two young men stared at each other in silence.

Suddenly, Will seemed to clue in, creases appearing on his forehead. ‘What? Didn’t you think I’d be happy for you?’

Liam grew uneasy, feeling himself blush as he looked away, unable to maintain eye contact. 

‘I had to hear the biggest news you’ve ever had from Steve Jacobson. Do you know how it felt to hear about it from some random guy on the team?’

‘I’m sorry’ Liam sputtered. ‘You know how I am about… that kind of stuff. I hate making a big deal about things.’

The hurt in Will’s eyes morphed into anger, his eyes hardening, his lips tight. ‘I tell you everything Liam. Everything. I even told you about my first time… with Josie. And when my dad went nuts and kicked me out of the house… when my mom…’ he hesitated for a moment, the memories painful ‘…when my mom came home so drunk, I had to put her to bed.’

Liam felt each word piercing him in the gut. Will was right. He leaned in, eyes narrowing as he spoke.

‘You’re right. I should have told you. But I…’ There really was no good reason, just his awareness that Will had dreams too. Dreams that were just as important as his. 

Will shook his head in disappointment. ‘Well you should have known I’d be happy for you. I’ve know since the first day we hit the court that you were not just some run of the mill player. Everybody did. For me, basketball is fun, it’s something I share with you but it was never going to be my future.’

Liam interrupted. ‘I didn’t want you to feel… left out. I know you love the sport too and I didn’t want to… gloat.’

Will let out a caustic laugh. ‘You’ve got plenty of faults Caffrey but gloating has never been one of them.’

Liam replied with a nervous cackle. His sensitivity to his best buddy’s feelings had backfired and ended up hurting him more than the truth had.

‘It’s not you getting courted by one of the best universities around that hurt. It’s the fact that you didn’t tell me about it. I’m proud of you Liam, I just don’t know what this says about the trust between us.’

Humour had always played a big part in their friendship, neither one of them shying away from self-deprecation. ‘You want to hang out after school, maybe come over to my place?’ Liam asked with a playful shove, hoping to be forgiven.

His attempt at making things better didn’t land. Instead, Will stood, collecting his things.

‘Maybe… I’ll let you know.’

WCWCWC

Raffie sniffed around the perimeter of the kitchen, searching for some crumb which might have been left behind for his dining pleasure. Finding none, he let his head drop to the floor as he settled under the kitchen table. He could feel it in his bones; it was getting close to that time of day when all hell broke loose and the quiet, abandoned house came to life as all his humans came home to roost. Who got home first was a crapshoot. Sometimes it was the tall lady with the sharp footsteps or the man who always headed to the kitchen to check out the contents of the fridge. Other times, it was one of the younger crowd, the blonde with the loud voice or the dark haired girl who always patted him on the head when she walked in or the boy who usually put him out to pee before heading upstairs.

He heard the distant sound of a car engine and trotted out to the front door, peeking behind the curtain covering the glass panel by the door. His tail began to wag as he spotted the man getting out of the car. Raffie let out a low growl as he watched him stop and chat with the lady next door who seemed to always be lurking around. He felt his bladder pressing against his haunches and grumbled. Hurry up, I’ve got to pee.

He watched the man walk up to the door, use his key and step inside.

‘Hey buddy!’ he called out cheerfully as he patted him on the head. ‘Need to go outside?’ he asked as he led the way to the patio door in the family room. 

Freedom! Raffie thought as he ran out into the yard.

Neal turned his attention to checking out the stack of mail he’d just brought in as the front door opened and Caitlin appeared, looking angelic as she had a tendency to do when she knew she was about to get chewed out.

‘I’m home!’ she said sweetly.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

‘I am telling the truth!’ Caitlin said, her voice growing louder.

Neal sat across from her at the table on the back deck, studying her eyes, searching for those tells he’d grown accustomed to whenever she attempted to deceive him. His bullshit radar wasn’t picking up anything. Was she getting better at disguising her deceptions or was she telling the truth? 

The last three years with Caitlin Somersby in their home had been an absolute roller coaster ride. Although she’d been more than grateful for the opportunity to come live with them, Caitlin had continued to test her foster parents’ patience at every turn. But despite her determination to fulfill everyone’s prediction that she would never amount to anything, Sara and Neal still refused to give up on her. 

When Neal had first suggested they open up their hearts and their home to the wayward teen, Sara had been hesitant, concerned about how this new addition might affect the family’s dynamic. But she’d known from the start what this was really about. Neal’s past still haunted him and though he couldn’t right the wrongs from his past, he could try to keep this very gifted teenager from falling off the rails into a miserable life of crime and regret. 

Surprisingly, the very individual who had unwittingly caused hardship in Neal’s young life had become part of the solution. Linda Bennett’s reappearance in their lives had led to a marked improvement in Caitlin’s behaviour. Unlike Neal, who was seen as a father figure, Linda didn’t represent a threat nor was she judgemental about the younger woman. Caitlin felt free to open up to Linda, share her fears, her frustrations as well as her hopes and dreams. But despite the positive effect Linda had on her, Caitlin still had moments filled with self doubt and self loathing and even though she’d recently crossed the threshold into adulthood, she still acted out like an angry three-year-old.

She stood, looming over Neal, her face tight, her eyes angry. ‘You know it’s really annoying how I always get blamed for everything around here. Even when I didn’t do it. You know last week when you accused me of lying about what time I got home. Well, you were right, I lied. And when you asked if I could take Raffie for a walk and I said I had some studying to do… well, I was lying then too!’

Neal stared back, mouth agape. At five foot two, the tiny young woman was a force to be reckoned with, her piercing blue eyes peeking out from beneath her blond bangs.  
She was speaking loudly, loud enough for the neighbours to hear. Neal cringed as he noticed Myrtle Stevens on the other side of the fence peeking over. But that didn’t deter Caitlin. She was on a roll.

‘But I did not bring pot to the barbecue last night and I did not give it to Ginny and the other girls. Yes, I did partake and yes, it might have been a mistake but if you must know, Ginny is the one who was stealing beers from the fridge and passing out doobies like some dope pusher. That kid is headed for some serious trouble if you ask me’ she predicted, wagging her finger. 

Neal sat motionless and listened, unsure how to react. To his silence, she stamped her foot like a toddler falsely accused of stealing a cookie from the cookie jar and stomped towards the house. Just short of the door, she turned to face him again. 

‘I get it’ she shouted back at him. ‘I’m one giant disappointment to you and I should have known better last night but… but,.. but…’ 

Her eyes popped out of her head and she let out a loud grunt of frustration. 

‘Sometimes, believe or not Mr C, I try to do the right thing!’

And with that closing salvo, she disappeared into the house, slamming the door behind her. A moment later, Neal heard the front door close as silence returned. He let out a loud exhale as his mind quieted.

‘Everything all right Neal?’ came Myrtle’s voice from over the fence.

‘Peachy keen Myrtle’ he replied with a touch of annoyance.

He heard quiet footsteps from inside the house and he looked up, hoping Caitlin had returned so they could calmly work this out. But to his surprise, Hope stood at the patio door looking out at him.

‘Daddy?'

WCWCWC

Liam dragged his feet as he arrived at the corner of Meadowbrook and Edgewood Drive. He needed to see Cody, share his woes with him but his boyfriend had promised his dad to help move some furniture for his grandmother after school. His problems would have to wait. 

He couldn’t believe he’d made such a mess of things with Will. The two best friends hardly ever argued. That’s what was so great about their enduring friendship: they were both even tempered although Liam was definitely the more reserved of the two. Any disagreement over the years was usually resolved with some good old fashioned common sense and a little bit of humour, ending with an amicable pat on the shoulder or a friendly man hug.

When Josie had come into Will’s life, Liam had worried they might drift apart but the opposite was true. They’d grown closer, sharing the ups and downs of their romantic lives, cheering each other up when they were down. Unlike some of his other friends, Will’s behaviour hadn’t changed one iota when Liam had come out and started dating Cody. There had been none of the awkwardness and tension he’d felt from some of the other guys - especially in the change room - no weirdness, just the same old jostling and teasing and laughter they’d always shared. For that, Liam was grateful. Coming out in high school, although liberating, had generated snarky comments and knowing looks from some kids he’d considered friends. But he’d had his solid allies. And at the top of that list was William Allenby.

‘Caffrey, wait up!’ came the familiar voice from behind him.

Will was running towards him, carrying his basketball and his heavy school bag on his back. Liam’s face relaxed at the sight of him. 

‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.

Will lifted the basketball in the air, throwing it at his best friend. ‘Thought you might want to shoot some hoops.’

WCWCWC

‘You okay Dad?’ Hope said when he didn’t reply.

She stepped out onto the deck, taking the chair vacated by Caitlin moments ago.

‘Hey sweet pea’ he said with a wide smile. ‘I didn’t know you were back.’

‘Cam just dropped me off. He’s heading over to the gallery to check on things… let Uncle Peter go home for dinner.’

The bandage on the left side of her face was impossible to ignore despite the fact Hope had let her hair down, partly covering it. The otoplasty was just one in a line of a half dozen minor surgeries destined to put her face back together again - an almost impossible feat. Neal reached out, gently stroking her cheek as he smiled lovingly.

‘How was it?’

‘Well, Dr. White promised me my ear would look more human than the pig ear I had when I walked in there’ she said displaying the stinging sense of humour she’d inherited from her mom.

‘Honey…’ he moaned. 

She shrugged but smiled, a grin he recognized as her relaxed smile. ‘I know I haven’t been easy to live with lately’ she said as Neal squeezed her hand.

‘We’ll take you any way we can get you’ he said, his voice wavering.

Hope wasn’t in the mood for any maudlin sentimentality. She knew the cycle would resume, ending with another procedure in another couple of months. For now, she just wanted to enjoy this brief moment of normalcy. She got to her feet, pushing back her chair.

‘So, do you want to tell me what that was all about with Caitlin?’

Neal shrugged. ‘The usual.’

She walked around the table, standing behind him as she laced her arms around his neck.

‘Don’t worry so much about everybody Daddy’ she said as she hugged him.

Easier said than done.

WCWCWC

The phone rang in the Burke home just before dinner. Elizabeth was thankful for the intrusion. She and Penny had been arguing about the proper way to construct shepherd’s pie - something they might have dismissed with a chuckle just a week earlier. 

But her sister had been at the house for the past five days and that, in Elizabeth’s estimation, was about four days too many. Little disagreements had grown into intense arguments including those related to the all important decision they had to make regarding the possible placement of their mother in a nursing home.

‘Hello?’

‘Hi Mrs. Burke. It’s Virginia.’

‘Ginny! How are you sweetie?’

‘Fine thanks. Could I talk to Brianna? We made plans to go to a movie tomorrow night.’

‘Of course’ El said, covering the mouthpiece.

‘It’s for your daughter’ she told her sister.

Penny frowned but walked over to the staircase to call out to Brianna. When she returned to the kitchen, she walked over to the stove and fiddled with the oven temperature.

‘It gets too dried out if you put it too high’ she informed her younger sister haughtily.

Elizabeth took a deep breath before she said something she’d regret. In a couple of days, her sister would be gone and she’d be missing her again — although that was hard to fathom at the moment.

‘Like I said’ Penny was saying. ‘Mom prefers this place but El, I don’t think it’s the right one for her.’

‘Penny, she’s eighty years old and since Dad died, you’ve been dictating everything about her life, what she eats, where she goes, who she sees. Can’t we give her a little bit of control over her own life?’

Penny stared back, defiant. ‘Easy for you to say, you’re not the one who opened up your home to her.’

The comment rattled Elizabeth. ‘You’re the one who insisted she come live with you. Mom wanted to stay in her own house.’

The scoff was loud and resonated in the kitchen. ‘You have no idea what’s going on with Mom!’

‘Penny, I was there just three months ago. Mom is still in great shape, she loves to bake and she had her friends around her when she lived at home. Sure, she would have needed some support but we could have gotten her some help, someone to check in every day. That’s what she wanted.’

The temperature in the room was rising and it had nothing to do with the oven. The women turned away from each other just as Brianna came running down the stairs.

‘Mom, I made plans to go to the movies with Virginia Berrigan tomorrow night.’

‘Do you need a ride?’ she asked, glancing at her sister.

‘No, Ginny’s going to come over and we’ll take the subway from here.’

Penny was only half listening, her mind still on the conversation she’d just had with her sister. Or was that a fight.

‘Fine. Not too late though.’

WCWCWC

Regardless of how much drama there was in their lives, they still needed to eat and Neal had begun the meal prep for their Thursday evening dinner when Liam and Will burst in, giggling and smelling like… well, like a couple of jocks.

‘Dad, is it okay if Will stays for dinner?’

‘Sure’ Neal said before thinking better of it. ‘On one condition. You both take a shower and get out of those stinky clothes.’

The boys chuckled and grabbed some drinks from the fridge before heading back out, almost knocking Sara over as she stepped into the house.

The clicking of her heels was unmistakeable and Neal’s eyes lit up at the sound. He’d forgotten all about their little skirmish that morning but it wouldn’t hurt to make her grovel a little. He got to work on the pie dough for his quiche, his back to her as she approached. The clicking stopped —she’d taken off her shoes— and suddenly he felt her arms around his waist as she lay her head on his back.

‘Hi sweet husband’ she murmured as she lay a kiss on his shoulder blade.

He said nothing but felt a smile creep onto his face. 

She rubbed his chest, her body tightly nestled against his. ‘You’re not still mad at me, are you honey?’

Good. She still had doubts. He shrugged but didn’t turn around.

‘Honey….’ she said again, this time with a mewl.

He let his arms fall to his side and turned to face her, prepared to make her suffer a little bit longer. But her smiling face and luminous green eyes worked their usual magic and he was unable to stifle a smile of his own.

‘That depends’ he murmured. His arms curled around her waist as he pulled her into him, revelling in the softness of her curves.

She gave him a naughty smile. ‘Oh yeah’ she purred. ‘On what?’

He was already tired of the cat and mouse game - he was fully on board for some serious making up. His lips moved in and grazed hers as he let out a soft moan. He felt her relaxing in his arms, their bodies melting together. When they pulled apart, her eyes had grown liquid, flecks of gold shining brightly. 

‘Oh it’s like that is it? You want me to pay for my sins with… more sins.’

His lips were drawn to her neck and he nuzzled her for a moment before the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs forced him back to reality. 

‘Hey you two’ Hope called out as she came into view. ‘I only hope Cam and I are still at it like a couple of rabbits when we’ve been married twenty-one years.’

‘Twenty-two’ Neal murmured, his lips still glued to Sara’s neck. 

Unfortunately, Sara’s attention had moved to their daughter as she studied her face for clues. She pulled out of Neal’s embrace and turned to face Hope who was smiling brightly, none of the tension that had been there when she’d sent her off for the day.

‘I’m fine’ Hope said, anticipating her mom’s question. ‘It went fine, no complications and the bandages can come off in a couple of days.’

Sara grinned, relieved, while Neal turned away to resume his previous task. She ran her hand through Hope’s thick hair and pulled her into her, hugging her tightly.

‘I’m sorry Mom’ Hope whispered in her mother’s ear.

Sara pulled away to look into her eyes. ‘Don’t! Don’t you ever apologize for anything.’

Hope shrugged, tears in her eyes. Raffie, as if sensing a love-in, was rubbing up against her legs. Enough sentimentality Hope decided as she reached out and grabbed his collar.

‘Come on Raffie, I’ll take you out for a walk before dinner’ she said, disappearing in the foyer and leaving her parents alone.

Neal and Sara exchanged relieved looks. Their baby girl was back, as bright and cheerful as always - at least for now. Sara leaned against the kitchen counter and searched his eyes; the earlier moment of desire now passed. 

‘I talked to Caitlin’ Neal said as he kept working.

‘And…’

‘Either she’s gotten better at this lying thing or she’s not the one who smuggled in the pot last night.’

She frowned. ‘What does your gut tell you?’

He reached for the shortening in the fridge and began to add it to the flour he’d dumped into a mixing bowl. ‘That I think sometimes I’m too hard on her’ he replied with a pout.

‘She is very good at playing us’ Sara admitted.

‘Well, I think this time I might have rushed to judgement.’

‘Ginny?’ she asked.

‘How’d you know?’

‘Just… what Diana said. And I’ve noticed Ginny’s been looking unsettled lately.’

Neal sighed and let his hands fall to his side. ‘Why am I always so hard on Caitlin?’

Sara reached out and ran her hand down her husband’s arm. ‘Because you want what’s best for her. Because you don’t want her to have to go through what you went through.’

He nodded. ‘You think I’m too tough on her?’

‘I think you could try listening a little more. Honey, she’s eighteen now and we can’t keep treating her like she’s eleven. We’ve given her all we can and now it’s time to give her a bit more rope.’

‘What? So she can hang herself?’

‘No, of course not. Caitlin’s smart and if we back off and give her some space, chances are she’ll make the right decisions. I realize she’s… immature for her age but she hasn’t had any real role models until recently. I see glimmers of brilliance.’

‘Brilliance huh?’ Neal threw back at her sarcastically.

‘Glimmers’ Sara repeated with emphasis. ‘Honey, she’s getting there, Rome wasn’t built in a day.’

‘So you keep telling me’ he groaned. 

‘Don’t be afraid to apologize to her. She’ll respect you for it. You know you don’t have to play the badass dad card all the time. She knows when she messes up. Maybe we can give her some credit for that.’

They had raised two great kids. Why, Neal wondered, was Caitlin Somersby such a challenge? But then again, he already knew the answer to that question. Because Caitlin Somersby was a reflection of himself and even as a grown man, he was still coming to terms with the young man he’d been.

WCWCWC

Dinnertime was a quiet time at the Blue Skies Nursing Home. The odd family member might show up to help their loved one with dinner but mostly, the residents ate quietly in the communal dining room with the help of staff.

Caitlin arrived just as Linda had taken her seat at the dining room table. She was carrying a couple of subs.

Linda put down her napkin and looked up at her. ‘What did you fight about this time?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You are so predictable young lady. You had a fight with Neal, didn’t you?’

Caitlin looked around, noticing ears perking up around them. She gave a head nod in the direction of Linda’s room and the old woman struggled to stand, reaching for her walker and following Caitlin down the hall. 

Once inside, Caitlin put down the sandwiches and climbed in bed alongside Linda, her arm tucked into hers, her head on her shoulder.

‘Oh Grandma, I’m never going to be good enough for Mr. C.’

Linda ran her hand up the young woman’s arm. ‘That’s not true’ she said with a sigh.

‘I’ll bet when Neal accuses you of something, it’s because he knows he’d be guilty himself under the same circumstances. Most of the time, he’s mad at himself, not at you.’

Caitlin sighed loudly. ‘I just can’t help myself. I keep messing up and he doesn’t let me get away with anything.’

Linda chuckled. ‘That’s because he loves you sweetheart. Otherwise, he wouldn’t care what you were up to.’

She felt Caitlin nodding against her.

‘Now that you’ve interrupted my dinner - and it was liver night too’ Linda added, trying her best to sound disappointed. ‘Are you going to break out those subs so we can eat?’

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Mozzie had taken it pretty well. Considering. He’d given the obligatory pout before Neal saw the tension slowly disappear from his shoulders. Having ex-special agent Peter Burke involved in their little adventure had never been the plan. More than twenty-five years after their initial meeting, Mozzie and Peter had found a way to be civil while maintaining a healthy distance from each other, friendly but not overly so, fully cognizant that the only common thread in their unlikely pairing was Neal Caffrey. In Mozzie’s eyes, although Peter would always lean on the side of law and order, he was no longer the tight ass, intransigent g-man he’d once been. And with time, Peter had accepted the presence of Neal’s little friend in his life as well as El’s, seeing him more as a nuisance than any real danger to public safety.

Co-existing in relative peace if not total harmony was the price they’d both been prepared to pay in order to remain in Neal’s life. 

‘You said it yourself Moz. Many hands make lighter work’ Neal reminded him. ‘It’s going to take forever to go through all this stuff.’

He glanced around the dingy warehouse space Mozzie had rented. It was large enough to accommodate the full contents of the storage unit with plenty of room to work around it and to move things around at will.

Mozzie made a last show of looking disgruntled then shrugged. ‘Fine’ he muttered. 

Strictly speaking, there was nothing illegal about what they were doing. Mozzie was the legal proprietor of each and every item left in storage unit 766. The question of what would eventually happen if they came across any illicitly obtained items remained unspoken for now although Neal was fully aware it was bound to pop up at some point. 

He felt excitement coursing through his veins as he looked around, his mind flashing back to a moment years before when he’d stepped into another cavernous warehouse surrounded by treasures he had thought were lost forever. He recalled the tingling sensation from his head to his toes as he took in the sight of priceless art, the biggest score of his and Mozzie’s storied career. 

‘I thought Liam would be dying to partake of our little adventure’ Mozzie said as he moved around, longingly touching the surface of furniture and assorted boxes.

Neal’s eyes roamed the room. ‘He would have. If I’d told him.’

Mozzie’s eyes narrowed. 

‘He had a date with Cody tonight’ Neal explained. ‘and… well, Sara gave me this dirty look when I suggested he might want to come along.’

‘Did she find out he played the role of lookout number one the other day?’

‘Thankfully no’ Neal replied. ‘And if you don’t mind, I’d rather keep it like that.’

‘You know for a woman who colours outside the lines on occasion, she’s rather prickly when it comes to her son learning the tricks of the trade’ Mozzie commented.

Neal had just opened his mouth to reply when a knock was heard, echoing through the large space. Mozzie moved towards the door, leaning his ear against it.

‘Password’ he demanded curtly.

‘Mozzie, it’s me’ came Peter’s voice from the other side.

‘Password’ Mozzie repeated, undeterred.

Neal imagined Peter rolling his eyes. ‘Come on Peter. I told you the password less than hour ago’ he called out as Mozzie gave him a dirty look.

‘I.. I.. Look, I don’t remember’ came Peter’s frustrated voice.

It was Neal’s turn to roll his eyes. ‘Seriously?’ he groaned.

He searched his mind for a hint that might help nudge Peter’s memory. ‘Turkey….’ he said slowly as if he was playing Password on game night.

Mozzie gave him a look of reprimand. Why don’t you just give it away it said.

‘Oh, oh, oh….’ came Peter’s voice as he ostensibly connected with his short term memory. ‘Hum, hum… cranberry!’ he finally called out victorious.

Mozzie shook his head in disappointment. What kind of amateurs was he associating with? He unlatched the door as Peter slipped in, taking one last furtive look around the street outside.

‘Relax Peter’ Neal said, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him in. ‘It’s not like you’re breaking in somewhere.’

Peter scoffed, his attention immediately drawn to the stack of odds and ends piled up in the middle of the space. 

‘Wow, this place looks like my grandmother’s attic’ he mumbled.

‘As you well know, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ Mozzie reminded him.

Neal looked fondly at his two friends, living in two different universes yet coming together on this one task. Frankly, he loved these rare opportunities to work with the two of them.

‘Remember when we worked together to con Keller after he took Elizabeth’ he said, his eyes dancing.

‘Not my fondest memory’ Peter grumbled.

Neal nodded, acknowledging the fact. ‘Still, it’s fun working with the two of you. It doesn’t happen very often.’ 

Mozzie was already poking around some boxes, moving things around.

‘Now, listen up’ he said, calling an abrupt end to the sentimentality. ‘We have to be methodical about this. What we’re potentially looking for could be hidden anywhere and it could be small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. It could be an envelope, a small box… anything.’

The other two men nodded in understanding. They were looking for a needle in a haystack.

‘I looked it up today’ Peter said, pulling out a printed sheet of paper from his shirt pocket. Neal and Mozzie crowded in around him.

‘The theft happened on August 3rd, 2008 in Chicago. Four men snuck into the vault at the Four Seasons Hotel at about two in the morning and made off with an estimated eighty-five million dollars in jewelry, cash and uncut diamonds. The jewelry and cash belonged to the hotel’s upscale guests but the diamonds were there because Ronny Shepard was staying at the hotel at the time.’

‘Shepard had just pulled a heist in Switzerland the month before and was in town to fence the diamonds’ Mozzie added, obviously in the know.

‘I see I’m not the only one who’s done his research’ Peter said.

Neal chimed in. ‘The estimated value of the stolen diamonds was about sixty million but the story goes that by the time Billings shared the profits with his crew, they were short about ten million.’

Peter nodded. ‘His crew always suspected he was holding back and they finally turned on him. He was found in his bathtub, fried like an overdone steak.’

‘Like the piece of leather you served the other night?’ Neal asked with a devilish grin.

Peter ignored him. ‘Those lost diamonds were never recovered.’ 

Mozzie stepped away from the pack, eyes roaming over the assortment of ‘junk’ surrounding them.

‘Well gentlemen, we’ve got a lot of work to do’ he said, rubbing his hands together. ‘I suggest we get started.’

WCWCWC

The girls sat in the back seat of the car, squirming as they changed into their party attire. Their teenage driver, kept one eye on the road and another on the rear view mirror, smiling lewdly at the sight. The new girl was cute, just his type with big boobs, slim hips and an enormous smile. 

His job consisted of keeping an eye out at school for potential prospects, party girls who were on the outs with their folks and looking to cut loose. Once he’d identified such a girl, he was to pick her up on party night and deliver her to Logan Parrish and his roommate, hence fulfilling his end of the bargain.

He glanced in his mirror once more, watching as Ginny squeezed into a revealing top. It didn’t hurt to look. She was what one might call perky: big brown eyes, warm chocolate brown skin, turned up nose, a body which though still not fully formed hinted at slim hips and round curves in all right places. When he’d met her behind the school a few days earlier, he’d handed her a couple of joints as an incentive to come to the party. Not that she’d needed any encouragement. She was already on board and better still, as a bonus, she’d asked if she could bring along a friend. His quota was two girls per week and without effort, Justin was about to pick up another hundred bucks for his trouble. 

It was easy money. He got to hang out at the party, help himself to drinks and drugs and meet a bunch of girls. Since their little arrangement has started six months ago, three of the girls he’d brought in had graduated to what Logan liked to call ‘phase two’ of his recruitment program. Once Logan ascertained their suitability, Justin’s services were no longer required. Logan took over, driving the girls to and from the parties himself, grooming them for his purposes. Phase two girls warranted a bonus for Justin who got an extra hundred bucks for each of them. 

He’d heard there was a phase three although Justin wasn’t quite sure what it consisted of. All he knew was if the girl made it all the way to phase three, he’d get an additional bonus of two hundred dollars for his trouble. He’d never gotten one of his girls to stage three but maybe Ginny Berrigan would be the one; Logan had made it clear she was, in his words ‘on the fast track’ and needed to be given special attention. Justin had to stay on top of the situation, make sure she kept coming to the weekly parties - something he was only too happy to do.

‘What did you tell your mom?’ Ginny asked once she and Brianna had settled in the back seat.

‘Exactly what you told me to say. That we were taking the subway to the movies and we would call when we were ready to be picked up’ Brianna replied.

‘I like that colour’ Ginny said pointing to the lipstick Brianna had just applied.

‘Here’ she said, handing it over.

‘I’ve got something for you ladies’ Justin called from the front seat. He turned around, handing them a lit joint, which Ginny was only too happy to accept. ‘Oh and as a special treat, Logan sent these along’ he added.

Brianna stared at his open hand where two little white pills were nestled. ‘What is it?’ she asked nervously.

‘These are party pills’ he replied with a grin. ‘Fun, fun, fun!’

Ginny reached out and took them from his hand, staring down at them. If Logan had sent them, they must be safe to take. The guy had been nothing but sweet and kind to her.

She looked sideways at Brianna and giggled nervously as she popped one of the pills and chased it with the bottle of water Justin handed her.

Brianna stared at Ginny’s hand, her eyes bright with excitement. Then she reached out and taking the bottle of water from her new friend’s hand she threw it back and laughed.

WCWCWC 

Caitlin arrived at the party, eyes searching for her friends from school - although acquaintance might be a more appropriate term. Caitlin didn’t have any real friends, you know the kind you confide in and want to share your good news with. She’d been burned plenty of times since she’d been dumped into the foster care system almost fifteen years earlier. She’d learned that most people only cared about themselves and wouldn’t think twice about betraying you when it suited them. The exception of course was the Caffrey family — no hidden agenda there just a loving family who had welcomed her into their hearts and into their home. With time, she was learning to loosen up.

Jennifer Carson was a girl she’d befriended in her biology class. Like Caitlin, Jenny was a product of the foster system, living nearby in a home with two other foster kids. From what she’d shared, the arrangement was nowhere near as satisfying as Caitlin’s was but the two young women had bonded over horror stories from their past and their disdain of the welfare system. Both girls enjoyed movies and partying and Jenny had shown herself to be a great partner in biology lab. She was definitely good to have around at those house parties they both favoured - you know, a buddy who had your back and didn’t let you get carried away or put yourself in dangerous situations. 

Caitlin had learned from her past mistakes. These days, although she still enjoyed partying, she rarely lost control. As Linda reminded her frequently, she wasn’t an impressionable child anymore and she needed to take responsibility for her actions. Over time, something strange had begun to happen: she’d started to care about making her foster parents proud of her, especially her foster dad who had gone out on a limb for her on more occasions than she cared to remember. 

Jenny was waiting by the front door when Caitlin arrived. That was one of their rules: stick together and don’t get separated. Music blared from inside as a few teens spilled out, chatting, smoking, enjoying the music.

‘Hey!’ Caitlin called out.

‘There you are. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.’

Caitlin wagged her eyebrows; weekends were for partying after all.

She slipped her arm in Jenny’s and proceeded up the steps into the house.

WCWCWC

Mozzie and Peter worked in silence as they waited for Neal to return with some food. They’d been at it for the past two hours without sustenance and Mozzie had begun to complain that he was feeling lightheaded. So far, they had found plenty of trash but nothing that would qualify as a treasure - except maybe a yellowed stamp album that looked like it dated back forty or fifty years. Sentimental item from the previous owner’s childhood? Or rare and valuable stamp collection? To be determined.

‘Will you look at this!’ Peter called out as he gingerly held a photo album in his hands. The fragile book looked like it was ready to fall apart, what had once been a silk cover weathered and worn.

Mozzie glanced over his shoulder as Peter carefully opened it. It looked like any family album dating back to the second half of the last century, the first few photos in black and white: a couple on their wedding day followed by the arrival of baby number one, then baby number two. On the margins were notes including one that caught Mozzie’s attention: Baby Gerry, two months old, Fred, 4 years old. Aren’t they cute?

‘It’s hard to believe this innocent little baby turned into a hardened criminal’ Peter commented.

They continued leafing through the book, a typical family treasure trove. If Billings had been cruel and hard hearted, you couldn’t tell by some of the items of sentimental value he’d locked up in his rented storage unit. Mozzie pulled away, digging under some boxes and coming up with a lamp, a gorgeous Tiffany table lamp.

‘This has got to be worth a few hundred bucks’ he said as he walked over to the ‘keep’ pile and added it to the loot.

Peter’s eyes were drawn to the item and Mozzie couldn’t help but notice a longing there.

‘What’s up?’

Peter shook his head. ‘Nothing… it’s just… my nephew broke one just like it earlier this week.’

‘The one you got when your mom died?’ Mozzie asked.

Peter frowned. El was an information sieve when it came to their home life. She and Mozzie spent hours ‘chatting’ and it drove the ex-agent crazy that the conman knew so much about their private lives.

‘Yeah’ he mumbled. 

The creaky door was heard off in the corner of the room and Neal appeared, his arms loaded up with bags of food and a blanket tucked under his arm.

‘Had this in the trunk of the car’ he said as he lay the blanket down on the cold cement floor. ‘Thought we could have a picnic.’

Peter still had his suit on, sleeves rolled up, tie discarded while Mozzie was in his usual casual attire. They grabbed the food bags from Neal and began to set up for an impromptu picnic in the dreary warehouse. 

WCWCWC

Logan was waiting outside the house when Ginny arrived with Brianna in tow. He gave her a friendly wave and she gravitated to him, feeling her heart thumping in her chest. 

‘I brought a friend’ she told him, her eyes sparkling. ‘She’s visiting from out of town.’

Logan gave Brianna a cursory look up and down. ‘Welcome’ he said, pointing towards the house. ‘Feel free to roam around inside. Plenty of drinks and stuff. Ginny and I will be back in a minute’ he added as he took Virginia’s arm.

She practically melted in response to his touch. Her nerve endings tingled and she could feel her heart beating loud and fast inside her chest. She looked back, noticing Brianna heading inside, following the sound of some new age music and the laughter of partygoers. The pill she’d taken made her feel relaxed and confident and she let herself be led away by Logan as they started together down the sidewalk.

‘Are you enjoying my little gift?’ he asked cryptically as they walked.

She nodded. ‘What was it?’

‘Love doves’ he replied. ‘Just a little something to make everything more enjoyable.’

‘Where are we going?’

He slipped his hand in hers as they walked, his body pressed up against hers. She teetered on much too high heels.

‘I thought we could have a few minutes alone together before we party.’

Ginny wasn’t about to protest. Here she was with this hunky older guy, his attention focussed on her, his hand wrapped around her waist, making her feel like a million bucks.

Across the street was a playground lined with park benches, totally abandoned at this time of night. He pulled her gently towards one of the benches and sat, urging her to do the same.

His arm lay across the back of the bench, fingers toying with her dark wavy hair. ‘I love your hair’ he commented as he gazed at her. She was speechless but could feel her insides tingling at his touch.

‘I thought about you all week. I really missed you.’

She giggled like the young teenager that she was. ‘You did?’

He nodded and smiled. His fingers moved from her hair to her face as he ran his thumb alongside her bottom lip. ‘And I love your mouth’ he commented with a warm smile.

She fluttered her eyelashes, feeling emboldened by his attention and the little pill she’d ingested. He leaned in pressing his lips against hers as he moaned.

‘Now I love it even more’ he said, pulling away.

The sound of music pounded from across the street as he reached into his pocket and produced a small box, placing it before her eyes.

‘I hope you don’t mind, I got you a little something’ he said, handing it over.

‘You got me a present?’ Ginny said, confused. ‘But you hardly know me.’ 

He gave her another blistering smile and ran his hand languidly down her cheek. ‘I want to get to know you. Maybe we could call this a ‘getting to know you’ gift.’

Her fingers lingered around the edge of the box, feeling like they were disconnected from her body, another side effect of that little white pill.

‘Go ahead, open it’ he coaxed.

She fumbled, finally getting the small box open and peering inside. ‘Wow!’ she exclaimed as she took in the dainty piece of jewelry.

‘You struck me as a girl who likes hearts’ he said as she stared down in awe. 

A delicate gold chain lay on a bed of cotton with a shiny pink stone inside a gold heart.  
‘It’s beautiful’ she murmured, mesmerized.

He gave a shrug. ‘I’m glad you like it. Oh and I got you this’ he said pulling out a phone from his back pocket.

‘What? But I already have a phone.’

He nodded. ‘I know… but this is a special phone. Our special phone. We can text back and forth when we can’t be together.’

He lifted the phone and brought his face close to hers, turning to face the streetlight nearby. ‘Here, let’s take a picture and we can put it on as your wallpaper.’

Ginny giggled, beyond happy at the turn of events. He liked her and she sure as hell liked him. She smiled broadly at the screen watching as a picture of the two of them appeared. 

‘Here you go, it’s all paid up and my cell phone is the only number programmed.’

He leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. ‘This is just for us, sweet thing. It’s our little secret.’

She nodded, stars in her eyes.

‘Oh and one last thing’ Logan added, pulling out a small pill bottle. ‘I made you a little care package.’

She stared down at his hand. ‘Don’t overdo it though. Just… if you’re having a rough day or if you’re feeling blue. There’s a lot more where this came from. Remember to keep it out of sight, you don’t want to get caught with it in school.’

She took the bottle from his hand, throwing it in her handbag where she’d just placed the phone.

‘I hope I’m not moving too fast. I really like you Ginny’ he said, kissing her lips lightly.

‘I really like you too Logan’ she replied. 

He beamed. ‘So what do you say? Do you want to party?’ he asked, nodding towards the house.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

The food was long gone and the guys had moved on to their second, then third beers. Peter sat with his back up against the wall, his long legs stretched out in front of him while Mozzie and Neal sat against the side wall with their beverages firmly in hand. 

They’d been reminiscing about the old days for over an hour and they were still going strong. It was looking more and more as if the treasure hunt might be over, at least for tonight. For the past ten minutes, Mozzie had been complaining about the number of times he’d gotten conned into helping Neal and Peter with their cases. 

‘It wasn’t always one sided’ Peter said, his voice booming. ‘Remember when that Detroit mobster came to town?’

‘Frank De Luca Jr.’ Mozzie said with a nod.

‘We had your back that time. The Bureau did everything to keep you safe but you were determined to put yourself in danger’ Peter reminded him. 

‘I was just trying to keep Mr. Jeffries safe’ Mozzie moaned.

‘Just don’t… don’t say the Bureau never did anything for you.’

Neal listened to the back and forth banter and smiled contentedly.

‘Well, I did plenty for you mister’ Mozzie said as he took one long pull on his beer. ‘Remember when Neal went undercover with Diana and they had to pretend to… do the horizontal tango.’

Neal chuckled. With Diana undercover as a call girl, he’d taken her upstairs to a hotel penthouse ostensibly to take her for a test drive. Mozzie had helped Peter get the necessary funds so Neal could pay for her services — otherwise her cover would have been blown.

‘You made me sit in a cold stinky warehouse with a copy of Vanity Fair’ Peter complained.

Mozzie raised his finger, preparing to correct the man. ‘It was the New York Journal Magazine supplement.’

Peter shook his head in disbelief. How the hell did the little guy remember such innocuous details? And more importantly, why bother?

Mozzie glared at him. ‘Well what did you expect? I wasn’t about to let you in on all our secrets.’

Neal looked from one man to the other, enjoying the show. They were the total antithesis of one another, Peter so down to earth and principled, Mozzie so flaky and esoteric.

‘You know what?’ Neal blurted out, his voice thick with emotion. ‘I love you guys!’ 

Peter picked up Neal’s beer bottle, examining the label with an amused grin. Maybe he’d accidentally given him one of his.

‘What?’ Neal said, miffed. ‘I just don’t get a chance to tell you very often. I love it when the three of us work together.’

Mozzie and Peter eyed each other warily before looking away flustered.

Neal let his head fall back against the wall, his eyes staring off into space. ‘We made a pretty good team in Cape Verde.’

‘Yeah, trying to keep your sorry ass out of trouble’ Peter reminded him.

Mozzie shrugged, conceding the point. 

Neal’s mind wandered. ‘You know, after Kate died, if the two of you hadn’t been there for me I might have landed myself right back in jail’ he said quietly.

It had been a rough few months for all of them. Neal, spiralling out of control, Peter and Mozzie worried about his mental health. Mozzie had always felt like a traitor for colluding with Peter and alerting the Suit of Neal’s intention to go after Fowler. Ratting out his best friend had gone against all his instincts but had been the lesser of two evils.

Peter looked over at Mozzie. ‘Remember how we used to meet near the fountain in Central Park?’

‘You what?’ This was the first Neal had heard about it.

Peter and Mozzie locked eyes, remembering how terrified they’d both been that Neal would never return to his previous naughty self.

‘For the first few weeks, we’d meet in the park every morning and share our observations on how you were doing’ Peter explained. ‘I’d keep an eye on you at work and Mozzie would make sure you were okay at home.’

Neal looked over at Mozzie, a wistful smile on his face. ‘Is that true Moz? Did you really do that for me?’

Mozzie made a motion with his hand, dismissing the maudlin recollection. ‘All in the past’ he said. 

Neal looked at his two friends, overcome with emotion. ‘I… I don’t know what I’d do without the two of you.’

Mozzie rolled his eyes and Peter plucked Neal’s non-alcoholic beer from his hands. 

‘That’s it!’ he said decisively. ‘You’ve had enough!’

WCWCWC

Back at the Caffrey homestead, Sara was spending Friday evening with her lawyer and friend Mindy Miller, sharing a nice bottle of Italian red while they discussed her upcoming case.

‘Okay, let’s run through it one more time’ Sara said with a huge exhale.

Mindy chuckled and lay the court documents on her lap. ‘Seriously? I think you’ve got this girl.’ 

Sara looked down at her empty wine glass, her long lashes fanned out against her pale cheeks. ‘I want… I want to make sure I’m ready.’

Mindy placed a hand on hers. Maybe she was being insensitive. If Sara felt the need to repeat the narrative one more time, she should indulge her.

‘What if I get tripped up and… I say the wrong thing?’

‘Honey…’ Mindy said with a gentle squeeze of her hand. ‘You’re not going to get tripped up. You’re just telling the judge exactly what happened.’

‘Yeah but… what if I stutter or look like I’m not… telling the truth.’

‘Sara, you’re not on trial here. Hyun Than is. The judge just wants to hear what happened and he wants to hear it directly from you.’ 

Sara let out a long slow breath and rose from the family room couch, ostensibly to go fetch another bottle of wine. Despite her close friendship with Mindy, she was embarrassed to have the other woman see her like this, so exposed and vulnerable. 

‘You’re right’ she said, shaking off the nerves.

Mindy got to her feet and followed her friend into the kitchen. She shook her head as Sara prepared to refill her wine glass. 

‘Not for me’ she said. ‘I’ve got to drive home in a little while.’

Sara pushed the plate of cheese and crackers towards her. ‘Here, have some. That’ll help.’

She proceeded to fill her own glass and sat at the table across from Mindy. ‘You know I really appreciate you coming over tonight and putting up with all my… craziness.’

‘It’s not craziness. You went through a terrible ordeal and I know how hard it is to have to keep reliving it over and over again. No one could blame you for being a little... jittery.’

Sara nodded and looked away. ‘It’s been almost two years and sometimes I’m afraid it’ll never truly be over.’

Mindy looked on, her eyes watery. ‘Do you know how much I admire you? You are so strong and so brave.’

Sara could feel tears building. ‘I don’t feel strong… or brave.’

‘Well you are. You were almost destroyed by what that man did to you but you refused to let him win. You went to therapy, you fought…’

‘Neal was there for me’ Sara said, tears now running freely down her cheeks. 

Mindy’s hand was on hers once more. ‘One more week. And this will all be behind you.’

She checked her watch. ‘Look, it’s getting late. Mike’s going to start wondering where I am.’

She began to wonder if maybe she should wait, at least until Neal got home. ‘Where’s Neal anyway?’

Sara wiped her eyes and took a sip of wine, her strength returning. ‘He’s out helping a friend of his with… something. He’ll be home any minute.'

Right on cue, the sound of the front door was heard in the distance followed by the recognizable sound of giggling. Not Neal but rather Liam and Cody, returning from their date night.

‘You should have seen his face’ Liam was saying as their voices grew louder.

‘Well, what did you expect me to —’

He stopped suddenly at the sight of his mother sitting in the Caffrey kitchen.

‘Mom!’ he said in surprise. ‘What are you doing here?’

She scoffed. ‘What? Am I not allowed to come over and visit with Sara?’

The boys looked at each other and shrugged. It was nice to see that their moms’ professional relationship had developed into a bonafide friendship.

Liam took a few steps back, pulling Cody along with him. ‘Mmm… I just need to show Cody something upstairs before he… heads home’ Liam said, pointing towards the staircase.

The women nodded, stifling a giggle. Show him something… yeah, that was a great line.

Cody looked on embarrassed and let himself be led, following Liam up the stairs before further explanations were required. Some additional giggling was heard as Sara and Mindy looked at each other knowingly.

‘You know, Mike and I were talking the other night. Maybe it’s time we start loosening the reins a little’ Mindy said.

Sara sighed. The topic of whether the boys should be allowed to sleep at each other’s house had been a bone of contention over the past year.

‘Liam’s seventeen in a few days’ Sara said, pensive.

‘Cody’s almost eighteen. Isn’t it a little hypocritical of us to… I mean what were you doing at their age?’

Sara smiled at the faraway memory. ‘Making out with my quarterback boyfriend in the back seat of his father’s Chevy’ she admitted sheepishly.

‘I lost my virginity at sixteen’ Mindy admitted. 

‘Neal and I always said we wouldn’t apply a double standard when it came to Hope and Liam’s love lives.’

‘Well, how old was Hope when you started letting Cam sleep over?’ Mindy asked.

‘It wasn’t that long ago… since the accident I guess…. and they’re engaged now. But she was spending weekends at his apartment long before that.’

‘I just feel silly playing this little game. We both know they’re at it like a couple of lovesick rabbits the minute we turn our backs’ Mindy reminded her friend.

‘Isn’t that exactly what they are?’

‘I guess but… if we start allowing sleepovers, we’re basically condoning them having sex.’

‘Would that be such a terrible thing?’ 

Sara stared ahead, imagining a scenario where her soon-to-be-adult son was boinking his boyfriend in the bedroom right across the hall from hers and Neal’s. She cringed at the thought.

‘Why don’t we run it by Neal and Mike and see what they have to say? Maybe we can start slow… you know, once in a while at first.’

Mindy nodded. The two women looked at each other, suddenly aware of the deathly silence coming from upstairs. This time they weren’t able to help themselves. They burst out in girlish giggles. 

WCWCWC

There’d been tension in the Burke home all week and El was beginning to look forward to things returning to normal. It was all coming back to her now… the fact that she loved her sister dearly but appreciated her more from a distance. They’d been bickering about everything under the sun including, of course, the best course of action for their mom. In the end, they’d agreed to disagree. Penny was the one living in Illinois, the one who’d encouraged their mom to sell the family home and move in with her and her family. Now that it was too much for her to handle and that the option of assisted living had come up, it would be hypocritical of Elizabeth to guilt her sister into caring for their mom on her own. 

Still, she was disappointed. Their dad would be sad to know his beloved Audrey would be ending her days in a nursing home, separated from her loved ones. In the meantime, Penny and Elizabeth avoided the topic, doing their best to concentrate on their game of Scrabble while they waited for Brianna and Peter to get home.

‘Funny we haven’t heard from Brianna yet’ Penny commented as she placed some tiles on the board.

El checked her watch. ‘Yeah, the movie must be over by now. And Peter is taking his sweet time getting home.’

‘Where is he anyway?’

‘He’s helping a friend of ours with a storage unit he bought.’ 

‘That peculiar little guy who was at the barbecue?’

El could hear the judgement in her sister’s voice. ‘His name is Mozzie’ she said defensively.

Penny grimaced. ‘He looked shady to me’ she opined.

In a matter of seconds, El went from sweet and calm to downright indignant. She slammed her hand down on the table, surprising herself with the echoing sound. 

‘I’ll have you know Mozzie is a lovely man’ she said, her voice growing loud. ‘He’s a dear, dear friend of ours.’

Penny stared at her baby sister, taken aback by her sudden outburst.

El was on a roll. ‘You know Penny, not everybody lives in a perfect little white bread world.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘We don’t all live in a middle class suburb like Clarendon Hills where you can go blocks before you cross a person who looks different from you. There are wonderful people in all walks of life and I for one feel very lucky to have a friend like Mozzie in my life.’

Penny huffed. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it.’

‘Well then, learn to think before you talk.’

Penny was on her feet. She actually stomped her foot before heading upstairs leaving Elizabeth stewing.

Yup, it was definitely time for Penny McKinnon’s visit to come to an end. 

WCWCWC

Ginny was enjoying the party even more so than she had the week before. Mainly because Logan Parish, undisputedly the cutest guy in the room, only had eyes for her. He’d been by her side most of the night, cuddling with her on the couch, plying her with drinks and whisking her off for the odd dance when the mood hit. 

‘Here’ he said as he took a seat next to her. ‘I brought you a Tequila shooter.’

Ginny grinned. She was having an amazing time, Logan’s attention solely focussed on her. The little white pill she’d taken in the car had only added to the excitement but it was beginning to wear off and she reached into her bag to grab for the little bottle he’d given her earlier. 

His hand was instantly on hers. ‘Hey, what are you doing?’

‘Just… reloading’ she said with a giggle.

‘Sweet thing, if you don’t want to have to crawl home, you need to slow down. Otherwise, your folks won’t be very keen about you coming back next weekend.’

‘I can handle my moms’ Ginny said with an excess of confidence.

‘Moms?’

‘Yeah, I’ve got two moms’ she said.

He nodded. ‘Cool. I got the feeling you didn’t get along with them very well.’

‘One of my moms is really strict but I can usually get my way with the other one. I just need to play my cards right and she’ll pretty well let me get away with anything.’

Logan leaned in to listen. Getting girls to phase three required a certain level of anger and resentment on their part, a willingness to defy their parents’ wishes and a longing for adventure. Would Ginny fit the bill?

‘Sometimes, they treat me like a kid’ she continued with a pout. ‘You know I just want to live my life by my own rules. I’m tired of them dictating everything from the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed.’

‘I get it’ Logan said as he ran his hand down her cheek. He leaned in and kissed her and Ginny felt her knees go weak.

‘We’ve got to get back!’ Ginny looked up to find Brianna standing there looking a little worse for wear. 

‘I’ll call you a cab’ Logan offered, reaching for his phone. ‘I’m going to drive Ginny home myself.’

Ginny beamed. Brianna shrugged. She’d been hoping for a little action but she hadn’t connected with any guys. Ginny, on the other hand, seemed to have hit the jackpot in that department.

‘Don’t forget to change your clothes before you head out’ Ginny reminded her as the teen teetered away towards the bathroom.

Logan turned his attention back to his young prey. ‘I’ve got an idea. Better not antagonize your moms too much. Why don’t I get you home before curfew —’

‘Noooo’ Ginny replied with a pout.

‘Listen to me’ Logan continued his voice velvety smooth. ‘I’ll take you home and maybe this week we can have a little… private rendez-vous.’

‘What do you mean?’ she asked wide-eyed and suddenly looking so innocent. 

‘I can cut out of work and maybe you can skip school and we can have some alone time, you know… to get to know each other better. Mateo will be at school and we could have the place all to ourselves.’

Ginny stared back, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Was he really suggesting what she thought he was suggesting?

‘Would you like that?’ he murmured into her ear.

She giggled and he took that as a yes. 

WCWCWC

There was a bit of a kerfuffle at the front door as Elizabeth finished tidying up the kitchen. Brianna had finally made it home, complaining of a headache and had joined her mom and brother upstairs. Elizabeth had used the time alone to calm down. Her blowup had nothing to do with Mozzie, it was just an accumulation of frustration and annoyance at having her sister try to dictate everything from where she should store her spices to what was the best brand of men’s underwear. 

‘Peter?’ she called out.

He appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, carrying a lamp and wearing a large grin.

‘Where… where did that come from?’

‘It was a gift. From Mozzie.’

‘What? You mean he went out and bought you a replacement for your mom’s lamp?’

Peter set it down carefully on the dining room table. It was larger than the one Bryce had destroyed, with a dome shaped shade in the same rich colours as its predecessor.

‘Not exactly. It was part of the stuff he inherited from that storage unit he bought.’

‘Awww, that was sweet of him.’

Peter walked towards her, bringing his hands to rest on her hips. ‘Yeah, thanks for telling him what happened.’

‘See?’ El said with a look of satisfaction. ‘You’re always on my case about oversharing. This time it paid off.’

Peter wagged his eyebrows and pulled her in closer. ‘We alone?’

She chuckled as she felt his hips pressing against her. Suddenly, without even knowing it, he was making everything better.

‘Down here we are. Why? You planning on taking me right there on the dining room table?’

Peter sighed. Spontaneous sex on furniture with a housefuls of guests wasn’t exactly in his comfort zone. 

‘I suppose I can wait one more night’ he murmured in her ear.

She gave him a bright smile. ‘I’ll make it worth your while.’

WCWCWC

Further north in White Plains, Neal arrived home to find Caitlin rummaging through the refrigerator on a quest for a late night snack. She pulled out some leftover chicken and reached for a loaf of bread. The two of them hadn’t really talked since their confrontation the day before. It was time to make peace. 

‘Mind if I join you?’ he asked. 

She shrugged, still stinging from their earlier spat. Neal returned to the fridge for some milk and some mayo, setting everything on the table as Caitlin settled in across from him. He reached for a knife and got started buttering some bread as Caitlin continued to avoid his eyes.

‘About yesterday…’ he finally said, unable to tolerate the cold silence any longer.

She looked up, her face neutral but he could tell she was still pissed.

‘I might have been a little quick to judgement.’

’You think’ she replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

He cleared his throat. She wasn’t going to make this easy on him.

‘Look, Caitlin I’m… I’m sorry’ he blurted out. Apologies didn’t come easy to Neal Caffrey. He’d learned long ago that you never apologized unless it was part of some con but Sara had trained him well during their years of marriage. So much so that sometimes, he found himself apologizing to her for something he hadn’t even done.

‘Look, I’m not perfect’ Caitlin barked back. ‘I have my faults but I told you, I never lie to you.’

Neal heard the echo of his own voice talking to a much younger Peter Burke. ‘Never?’

She looked away. ‘Hardly ever’ she admitted grudgingly. ‘I might not always follow the rules and I might not always be politically correct but… I don’t deliberately lie to you Mr. C.’

He reached out and touched her hand. ‘I know that honey. And I should have listened better. I made the assumption that because of things that happened in the past, you were the one who brought that pot to the party. Truth is, I don’t know much about Brianna except for what El’s told me and I really didn’t think Liv and Ginny were… into that sort of thing.’

Caitlin sliced up some chicken and placed it on the slices of bread Neal had buttered and handed one back to him.

‘They’re not. Well at least Olivia isn’t’ she replied. ‘But Ginny… she’s been on a tear lately. I saw her again at a partly tonight. I think she might be getting into some more serious stuff.’

His face grew dark. ‘Like what?'

‘Like… I don’t know. There was molly being passed around like candy.’

‘Ecstasy?’ Neal asked.

She nodded. ‘And I keep seeing her with this older guy. I think she might be getting in over her head.’ 

‘Have you tried talking to her?’

She shook her head. ‘What am I? Her mother?’

‘No but… maybe she’d listen to you.’

‘I don’t know. I guess I could try… she’s only fourteen. And I don’t trust this guy she’s hanging out with. He… he seems fishy to me.’

Neal took a bite of his sandwich and nodded, listening carefully. ‘Fishy how?’

‘I don’t know, I can’t put my finger on it.’

They finished their sandwiches in silence, both reflecting on what they’d been discussing. Once they’d cleaned up, they locked up and climbed up to their respective rooms, Neal’s arm curled around her shoulder.

Upstairs, everything was quiet. Liam’s door was closed and Neal could see Sara sitting up in bed reading as he and Caitlin stood momentarily outside their bedroom door. He leaned down, kissing the top of her head.

‘Grandma’s coming over tomorrow night. I could use some help with dinner’ he said by way of apology.

She nodded and peeked out at him from underneath her bangs. ‘Sure’ she said with a smile.

‘Sleep tight kiddo’ he murmured as she continued on to bed.

Sara lay her book down on her lap and removed her reading glasses as he stepped into their bedroom. ‘Awww, that’s nice, you two made up.’

Her voice had that little lilt it sometimes got after a couple or more glasses of wine. Neal closed the bedroom door, examining her face as he started to undress.

‘I see someone got into the wine tonight’ he commented with an amused grin.

She smiled seductively. ‘Maybe just a little.’

‘How’d it go with Mindy?’

She nodded but didn’t reply. Instead she sat up and got on her knees, crawling to where he sat at the end of the bed. Her arms slid around his body as she pressed her chest up against his back. She let out a moan and he chuckled in reply.

‘I’ve been waiting up for you’ she murmured in his ear.

Her soft breath tickled his ear and Neal pulled away, grinning widely. He tugged off his shirt, throwing it into the laundry hamper and stood, his pants pooling at his feet. Standing there in his boxers, he turned to face his wife, sliding his hands up her sides, under her arms and lifting her before laying her on her back. He crawled on top of her, letting his body melt into hers.

His lips moved to lick the shell of her ear. ‘Have you really been waiting up for me?’

Her arms curled around his neck, her hands tangled up in his hair. ‘Uh, huh…'

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

The effects of the alcohol and the little party pills had long since faded and despite the throbbing hangover, Ginny Berrigan woke on Saturday morning with her stomach all aflutter and her face aglow. Her boyfriend - yes, he was now officially her boyfriend - had dropped her off about a block over from her place and she’d managed to sneak into the house without having to submit to a barrage of questions. Her moms had been focussed on watching a movie and except for Diana congratulating her on being home before her 11:30 curfew, they had barely glanced in her direction. 

She and Logan had engaged in some serious groping before she’d stepped out of the car, a make-out session that had left her breathless and wanting more. She’d done her best to disguise her lack of experience in the romance department but he’d seen right through her awkwardness and had been rather amused, more than happy to coach her along as they went. He’d promised to be in touch during the week and hinted again at some secret little rendezvous when they could finally be alone. 

She lay in bed, caressing the pendant he’d given her and staring up at the ceiling as she imagined having sex for the first time. She’d fantasized about it for a long time but didn’t want to look like a fool in front of her more experienced boyfriend. She’d have to fake it. Really, how hard could it be? He made her body tingle from head to toe, surely she could figure things out.

Logan’s sudden appearance in her life had chased away the boredom and monotony of her fourteen-year-old existence. He made everything more exciting, more fun. Toeing the line, applying herself at school, being a ‘good’ girl… it was all wearing thin and she welcomed the excitement of having a cool guy like Logan interested in her.

The door to her room flew open and she sat up at attention as her sister stormed in. 

‘What did you do with that top I lent you?’ Olivia said, her voice accusatory.

‘What is with you anyway? Don’t you knock before barging into someone’s room?’

Olivia gave her a look of consternation. ‘What’s wrong with you? Since when do I have to knock before coming into your room.’

‘Since… since…’ Ginny muttered, tongue tied as if her sister could read the lurid thoughts that had been dancing in her head just moments earlier. 

‘Just knock next time!’ she shouted, her good mood evaporating. ‘Your stupid top is in the laundry.’

Olivia stared back at her sister, taken aback by her snappy comment. ‘What is with you lately? There’s no in between. You’re either out partying with your friends or you’re acting like a spoiled little brat.’

Ginny jumped to her feet. ‘Shut up! Did you tell the moms I was at a party last night?’

Olivia let out an exasperated sigh. ‘Jeesh, relax, will you? I didn’t say anything. And I wish you’d stop asking me to cover for you. I’m so over it.’

Her sister’s hand was instantly on her arm, eyes softening. ‘Come on Liv, don’t be like that. I’m only having a little fun. You know how Mom gets, she sees danger and evil everywhere.’

‘Can you blame her? She sees a lot of stuff in her work at the FBI.’

‘Not everybody is out to get you, you know’ Ginny countered as she returned to her bed and threw her pillow over her head.

Olivia took that as a sign their conversation was over and slammed the door on her way out.

WCWCWC 

‘I was thinking chicken…’ Neal said as he stretched out in bed. ‘I know it doesn’t sound very exciting but my mom’s been really fussy about what she eats lately… the blander, the better.’

Sara turned to face him, her eyes still small with sleep. ‘How long have you been lying there thinking about chicken’ she muttered sleepily.

‘Not long…’ he replied earnestly. ‘I just want her to enjoy her birthday dinner. I’m starting to wonder if bringing her over here isn’t too much for her.’

Sara shook the last remnants of sleep and propped herself up on her elbow. ‘What do you mean?’

‘It’s just… harder and harder to get her over here. Even getting dressed and ready to go seems to be a challenge for her. And you know what happened the last time she was here, she almost fell asleep in her soup.’

Sara nodded. ‘So what? Honey, she loves coming over here. It breaks up the monotony. We just need to keep things simple so she can cope.’

Neal scowled, unconvinced. ‘I just don’t want to make this about us. This should be about her.'

‘Stop overthinking it’ Sara said with a playful poke to his ribs. ‘Or better yet, just come right out and ask her. I think you’ll find she’s not ready to stop coming over. She loves seeing the kids, it keeps her… alert.’

He shrugged. Maybe she was right.

‘Mindy and I were talking last night’ Sara said, changing the subject. ‘About the boys.’

‘What about the boys? Is anything wrong?’

‘No, they’re still… tighter than ever’ she said with a winsome smile. ‘We were just saying maybe it’s time we give them a little space, a little more privacy.’

Neal sat up, settling against the headboard. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘You know… some alone time?’

Neal scowled as if not understanding what she was getting at. It looked like she was going to have to spell it out for him.

‘How would you feel if we were constantly having to find a little corner somewhere so we could make out, if we never had anywhere to go to… you know.’

‘Have sex?’ he said, louder than he realized.

She shushed him.

‘Well, for one thing you and I own this house and we are consenting adults, married in the eyes of the law…’ he began, tongue in cheek. ‘It seems to me we’ve earned the right to make out whenever and wherever we want. Liam and Cody on the other hand…’

‘Stop it’ she said, visibly annoyed. ‘All I’m saying is maybe we could be a little more indulgent about their need for privacy.’

Neal looked at her warily. ‘I don’t know Sara…’

‘Honey, it’s not like they’re not doing it already.’

‘Ewww, TMI’ Neal moaned.

‘What? Since when are you squeamish about sex.’

‘I’m not squeamish about sex… I just don’t want to think about our kids doing it, that’s all.’

‘Well’ she said, sitting up to face him. ‘Get used to it. They’re both doing it - better, longer and probably more often than we are.’

Again, Neal gave her a look of disdain. ‘Thank you for that visual Dr. Ruth’ he said sarcastically.

She slid out of bed, reaching for a robe. ‘Caffrey, you can be such a hypocrite.’

‘I am not’ he argued, slipping out of his side of the bed. ‘I just… okay, what specifically did you have in mind?’

‘Maybe we can let Cody sleep over here from time to time —’

Neal interrupted. ‘You mean right over there?’ he asked, pointing towards the bedroom door. ‘Just three feet away from us? ‘Cause that’s a really appealing scenario.’

She scoffed. ‘I’ll admit it’s… a little weird. But maybe… maybe we can suggest they sleep on the hide-a-bed down in the family room. I don’t know… I just feel like Hope has certain privileges and Liam deserves to have them too.’

‘Hope is five years older’ Neal reminded her as he pulled on a t-shirt.

‘She wasn’t when she started sleeping over at Cam’s.’

Neal frowned like it was hurting his head to think about it.

‘Honey, Liam’s a great kid’ Sara argued. ‘He’s never given us any reason to worry. He’s responsible and it’s not like Cody is some guy he picked up at a party.’

Neal was wavering, she could tell.

‘I don’t mean all the time, just… you know if Cody happens to be over here and it’s getting late or if Liam is over at the Millers and calls to ask if he can stay over. Mindy and Mike are both on board’ she added, stretching the truth.

He nodded, starting to see her point. ‘Okay, fine.’

He made his way to stand closer to her, kissing the top of her head. 

‘You would've been a good lawyer Repo’ he muttered before walking out of the room.

WCWCWC

Sleeping over at Cam’s apartment certainly had its advantages. First off, it was closer to downtown, to the restaurants, galleries and shows they loved. It also gave them the privacy they craved as a young couple in love. Not that they didn’t have a certain level of privacy in her bedroom at home. It was up on the third floor, far enough from the rest of the family so as not to be overheard but for Cam, there was something about knowing his fiancée’s parents’ were sleeping directly beneath them that, on occasion, had stopped him dead in his tracks.

Hope was studying herself in the bathroom mirror of Cam’s one bedroom apartment when he stepped in, unceremoniously lifted the toilet seat and proceeded to relieve himself right next to her. Now that her bandages had been removed, Hope had resumed being somewhat obsessive about checking herself in the mirror. Cameron stood behind her, reaching on either side to wash his hands as he deposited a warm kiss on her neck right by the ear that had just undergone a cosmetic touch-up.

‘To be honest, I don’t really see much of a difference’ he admitted. ‘But if it makes you feel better, I’m all for it.’

She frowned. ‘How can you not tell the difference? There was a dent here right at the bottom of my earlobe’ she said, touching her ear gingerly.

He studied her in the mirror and after a moment, reached for her shoulders, forcing her to turn around and face him.

‘Hope, I love you. I love you with or without the dent in your earlobe or any other adjustment you might want to make to your beautiful face’ he murmured.

She swallowed hard, emotions rising in her chest. For a moment there, he was afraid she was going to start to cry.

‘I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?’ he asked, pushing a wayward strand of hair from her face.

She shook her head. ’N-n-no…’ she said, her voice shaky. ‘You always say the exact right thing.’

Cam brought his arms around her and pulled her in to him. ‘I get it. If we could erase everything about that night… I understand you wanting to go back to looking exactly like you did before.’

She sighed. ‘The truth is I could undergo all the plastic surgery in the world and I still would never be able to forget… what happened that night’ she admitted, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

He pulled away so he could look into her glistening eyes. ‘If I could wave a magic wand, I wouldn’t change a thing about the way you look… but I would make all the pain and the bad memories go away.’

Hope let out a sob then quickly recovered. She ran her hand down his cheek, feeling the rough stubble against her hand. ‘That’s why I love you Cameron Armstrong’ she whispered.

He gazed into her eyes, feelings of longing stirring deep inside. Hope was due at the gallery for her Saturday morning class in another couple of hours. He let his hands linger down her back to her buttocks where he settled, squeezing enthusiastically.

‘Now how about coming back to bed for a little while so I can nibble on that new ear of yours a little more?’

WCWCWC

Saturdays were busy in the Caffrey household what with shopping, errands and all matters of family life. Always eager for extra practice, Liam had asked if he could drive out to New Rochelle to pick up his grandmother for dinner. That meant Neal or Sara had to go along with the still unlicensed driver. Frankly, Neal couldn’t wait for Liam to finally get his driver’s license so he wouldn’t have to constantly act as chaperone.

‘I’ll do it, I’ll go with him’ Caitlin offered, more than happy to help. ‘Grandma might need some help getting ready.’

Neal and Sara exchanged looks. They knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. Caitlin didn’t drive much but she had completed her driving course and gotten her license over six months ago.

‘That works for me’ Neal said, thinking of all he still had to get done before his mom got there.

‘No complaints here’ Sara echoed. ‘I wouldn’t mind getting some work done before Grandma gets here.’

‘Remember! I want everybody here for dinner’ Neal warned as he opened the fridge and started a mental list of groceries he needed to pick up.

‘Is it okay if Cody comes over?’ Liam asked.

‘Of course it is’ Sara replied. ‘Cody’s always welcome.’

Caitlin looked over at Liam as she prepared to head upstairs. ‘Just be ready to leave around 3:30. I notice it’s taking her longer and longer to get ready.’

Neal felt a pang at her words but forced himself to keep concentrating on his shopping list.

Liam picked up the basketball he’d brought down from his room. ‘Will and I are going to shoot some hoops’ he said as he headed for the door, leaving his parents alone. 

Neal looked over at his wife. ‘What do you say babe? Want to come to the grocery store with me?’

Sara groaned. ‘Seriously?’

Neal shrugged and gave her his best smile. ‘Why not? We never get to go grocery shopping together anymore.’

‘Because we both hate it and it takes forever’ she reminded him.

‘Aww come on Repo. We’ll make it fun. I’ll take you out for ice cream on the way back.’

Sara pointed in the general direction of the family room where her laptop was already open. ‘I was going to catch up on some e-mails’ she said.

He sidled up to her, arms resting on her hips. ‘Ice cream with your sexy husband, boring old work emails’ he said, his head wagging back and forth as if evaluating the choice at hand. 

She looked into his eyes, surprised to find genuine enthusiasm there. Only Neal Caffrey could make grocery shopping sound like a fun outing.

‘Cherry macaron?’ she asked, her eyes dancing at the thought of her current favourite ice cream flavour. 

He leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth. ‘If you’re a good girl, I’ll make it a double’ he replied.

WCWCWC

Mozzie had been feeling strange all day. As if he was being followed or someone was spying on him from a distance. Of course, paranoia was nothing new to the man. He’d always had the impression that his comings and goings were of interest to others - call it some overblown sense of self-importance. Ever since his safe house out in Flemington had been broken into, he’d been particularly nervous about being seen going in and out of his other places. Lately, he’d been sticking to Tuesday which was located in the Bronx not terribly far from the school of art - perhaps subconsciously reassured by the fact that Neal was nearby. 

There was still plenty of work to do at the warehouse he’d rented but, truth be told, he wasn’t all that keen on heading over there on his own. He’d enjoyed working with Peter and Neal and was looking forward to resuming the task when they were both available. They’d worked well together, both Neal and Peter meticulous as they explored each and every nook and cranny of the items from the storage unit. So far, he’d found a couple of interesting things - certainly enough to recoup his original investment. But he was still holding out for the big payoff - those missing diamonds. He’d managed to convince himself that they were hidden in the mess of things somewhere.

So instead of heading over to the warehouse on Saturday afternoon, he climbed into that old beat up van of his and headed out to White Plains to see what was shaking.  
Years ago, he would have cut off his right arm rather than take part in the domestic scene playing out at the Caffrey house. All that domesticity was enough to make a guy like Mozzie antsy if not physically ill. But then, things had gradually begun to change. For one thing, Sara had relaxed some of the many rules she’d set down early in her marriage to Neal. Her fear that Mozzie would lead her husband astray had faded with time and after Liam was born and he’d stepped into the role of godfather, Mozzie had started to take greater pride in his place within the Caffrey clan. Besides, there was always a warm meal and a fine bottle of red waiting for him whenever he showed up whether it was morning, noon or night. 

He drove, eyes darting back and forth at his rear view mirror, checking out the cars behind him for anything that might look suspicious. He came up with nothing. But the feeling wouldn’t let up and if there was one thing Mozzie had learned over the years, it was to trust his instincts. 

Then again, maybe the man was losing his touch.

WCWCWC

Linda Bennett came close to doing a nose dive straight into the birthday cake her son had prepared for the occasion. Sara had come to the rescue just in time and had helped her mother-in-law settle in the cozy lazy boy chair she particularly affectioned. She could tell it was hard on Neal to see his mom like that and she insisted on doing the cleanup so he could sit with her and keep her company while she ‘rested her eyes’. Hope had been quick to help clear the table while Caitlin had opted for joining her beloved grandma and her foster dad over in the family room. The two of them made small talk while Hope and Cam tackled the dishes, Sara put away leftovers and Liam and Cody took Raffie out to the backyard to play catch. Mozzie hovered as he usually did, giving unsolicited advice and sharing his enthusiasm about his recent purchase and all the surprises he was discovering in that pile of ‘junk’ from the storage unit.

Neal watched his mother sleep, his heart heavy at the sight of her looking so weak.

‘She’s fine’ Caitlin whispered, next to him on the couch. ‘You’ll see, in a few minutes she’ll wake up and she’ll be asking for a cup of tea and a piece of cake.’

Neal sighed and nodded. ‘Maybe it’s just too much to expect… that she keep coming out here.’

Caitlin touched his hand. ‘I’ll tell you one thing. She was pretty excited when Liam and I arrived to pick her up’ she said reassuringly. 

‘Yeah…’ Neal murmured, his voice sad. ‘But at what cost? Is she pushing herself too much… just for us?’

‘Why don’t you just ask her?’ came Linda’s voice as her eyes fluttered open.

‘Hey Mom, you been eavesdropping on us?’ Neal said with a smile. 

‘Sorry about nodding off…’

Neal was on his feet, crouching down in front of her and taking her hand in his. ‘Don’t apologize. I just don’t want you getting overtired.’

She gave him a lazy smile as she ran her withered hand down his cheek. ‘Honey, don’t you know this is my favourite way to get overtired?’

When the boys returned, they took a second run at the cake, singing the obligatory ‘Happy Birthday’ in harmony to mark both Linda and Liam’s special days. Now fully awake, Linda was positively glowing, thrilled to be surrounded by family after spending way too many birthdays alone. Caitlin gave her foster dad a look that said ‘I told you so’ and Neal relaxed at the sight of his mom, enjoying the fuss.

There was joy in the Caffrey home. At least for the time being. And in the end, that was all anyone could hope for.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

In hindsight, you’d have thought they were hosting the Queen of England rather than a basketball recruiter for the Virginia Cavaliers. George O’Rourke had flown to White Plains in order to catch the team’s first playoff game of the season and see for himself what this young phenom by the name of Liam Caffrey was all about. While in town, he’d requested some time to meet with the star player and his parents in order to discuss the basketball program at the University of Virginia and see how Liam might potentially fit into their stable of new recruits.

Coach Delgado had warned his team captain that this wouldn’t be the last visit he’d be getting from a Division 1 school, many of them eager to get their hands on his star power. Everyone knew that successful basketball and football programs were a feather in the cap of any self-respecting university, adding to their prestige country wide. They were always on the lookout for those uniquely talented athletes to front their teams and give them the elite status they hungered for. Liam’s reputation had spread far and wide as an exceptional young player with strong leadership skills, a good work ethic, a kid who had his head screwed on straight - in short, someone most universities would kill to have on their roster. 

The thought of eventually having to make a choice of institution was overwhelming and Liam was grateful to have his parents to help guide him through the process. There were so many factors to consider including location, team standing, study programs and the value of the scholarship being dangled in front of his eyes. 

What followed was a lengthy discussion about whether or not they should invite the man over for dinner before the game. Neal was in favour of having him over for a home cooked meal. Surely the guy didn’t get many of those if he was constantly on the road recruiting future players for the Cavaliers. Sara had disagreed. It was overkill she’d insisted, a blatant attempt at sucking up. Neal had taken offence at her comment and Liam had just shrugged, uncomfortable with the whole thing. 

In the end, they compromised and decided to have George O’Rourke over to the house for coffee and homemade strawberry rhubarb pie before the game. That would give them just enough time to chat without having to make small talk all the way through dinner. Then, they could all head over to the high school for the big game against the New Rochelle Rockets.

Following his dentist appointment, Neal stopped in at the grocery store to pick up a few things in anticipation of their guest’s arrival. He was determined that Liam’s choice of institutions wouldn’t be negatively affected by something as trivial as an allergy or dislike to strawberries so he threw some Granny Smith apples into his cart, intent on diversifying his dessert options. 

He’d come close to cancelling his dental appointment and as he stood waiting at the cash register, he began to wish he had. The freezing was beginning to fade and he could feel the tingling in his mouth, making way for a dull throbbing pain on the side of his face. Damn tooth!

He felt his phone vibrate against his chest and reached for it as he pushed along his cart.

‘Dad?’ came Liam’s familiar voice.

‘Hey buddy, what’s up?’

‘How come you’re not home? I thought you were going to make dessert for the recruiter.’

Neal detected unusual tension in his son’s voice. ‘I am. I’m just picking up a few things at the grocery store.’

‘What if he hates strawberries?’ Liam asked.

Neal couldn’t help but smile. For a usually calm, cool, collected guy, his son’s question seemed somewhat over the top.

‘I’m way ahead of you. I picked up some apples and I’ll make an apple crisp so that way, he can have a choice.’

‘Oh…’ said Liam. Had he really called because he was worried about the guy not liking strawberries?

Neal waited, there had to be more to it.

‘Dad?’

‘Yup’ Neal replied as he came face to face with the cashier and gave her a friendly smile.

‘Cody’s here.’

‘Okay…’

‘I was wondering… do you think I should invite him to sit in on the meeting? I mean… I could let it slip that he’s my boyfriend.’

Neal sighed. Being out - and particularly being an out athlete - meant you had to decide how and when to come out to people over and over again. He felt his heart tug at the anguish in his son’s voice.

‘I mean… is it better if I speak up now or just not mention it at all.’

Neal struggled to come up with a supportive answer. If Liam had been straight, he wouldn’t have even considered having his girlfriend sitting in on the meeting. But he wasn’t straight. He was a gay man who was out of the closet - to anyone who cared enough to ask around. Sadly, that would make him a novelty on any top tier university sports team and Liam knew that. 

Neal cleared his throat. ‘Look, I’m just finishing up with the cashier. I’ll be home in about twenty minutes. How about we talk about it then?’

He imagined Liam shrugging at the other end. ‘Sure. See you when you get here’ he said.

Neal made his way to the car with his purchases, his heart heavy. This wasn’t the dark ages but out gay players in any sport were still a rarity. When he’d heard that the University of Virginia had show an interest in Liam, his mind had immediately gone to what life was like in Charlottesville. Perhaps not surprisingly, the thought of his gay son attending a university smack dab in the middle of the bible belt had made him slightly uneasy. Sure, university campuses were known for their liberal views but what about the general culture in the city itself. There was no denying there were enlightened people everywhere but the bible belt had a reputation for its traditional and conservative views. How would the community welcome a young gay athlete in their midst? He hadn’t wanted to share his apprehensions before they’d had a chance to meet with the recruiter but now he wondered if he and Sara shouldn’t have had a long, frank discussion with Liam. 

It hadn’t been easy for his quiet, introverted son to come out to his family, his friends, his community. After struggling with his own feelings for months, he’d finally come out with Cody standing by his side. In the intervening years, except for a few rough spots, it had been fairly smooth sailing but now, he was facing the prospect of life in a new city. And with that, the cycle would begin anew and he’d have to come out all over again.

WCWCWC

It was strange to drive up to the house in the middle of the day. Ginny had only been to Logan’s place at night when the house was pulsating with music and overflowing with party goers. Now, in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon, it looked foreboding, menacing. She felt Logan’s hand on hers and relaxed.

‘Is it kicking in yet?’ he asked sweetly.

She took a deep breath and took another sip of the drink he’d handed her. She could feel the effect of whatever he’d laced her drink with, her body relaxing and her senses tingling.

He ran his hand down her thigh and she felt a shiver, a smile appearing on her lips.

‘I feel… good’ she murmured, closing her eyes and letting the sensation run through her body.

‘I thought you’d relax more if I gave you a little something extra’ Logan said, pulling into the driveway.

‘You hungry?’ he asked solicitously. 

‘For what?’ she replied with an unexpected giggle.

He leaned in and kissed her as she moaned. ‘For more of this’ he replied.

Another unsuppressed giggle.

‘I thought maybe we could watch a movie… Mateo’s not coming home until later.’

‘I told my mom I was having dinner at my friend Hannah’s house’ Ginny said with a drunken smile. ‘She’ll cover for me.’

Getting out of the car turned out to be a bit of a challenge and Logan had to help her into the house, her legs wobbly beneath her. Ginny felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach as he wrapped his arms around her and helped her over to the couch where she let herself drop on the cushions bonelessly.

‘Noooo’ she moaned when Logan attempted to walk away.

‘I’m just getting us a few drinks and snacks’ he said, pointing to the nearby kitchen. 

He handed her the remote. ‘Here, why don’t you see if you can find something you like.’

She watched him walk away, his cute bubble butt shimmying from side to side as he headed for the kitchen. She felt a sudden pang deep in her belly, an almost overwhelming urge to reach out and touch him and have him touch her. Thus far, her sexual experiences had consisted mostly of make out sessions behind the school with a couple of grade twelve boys. She’d enjoyed the thrill of it, the excitement of getting away with something right under people’s noses. But the fear of being discovered by a classmate or teacher had kept her from going all the way. Not that she hadn’t wanted to. A couple of her friends had experienced the full monty and she couldn’t wait to finally get that first time under her belt and gain a little more experience.

She was still staring blankly at the television screen when Logan returned with a couple of beers and some munchies. He pulled out a joint and lay it on the coffee table as she smiled. Her whole body was relaxed yet throbbing with excitement, a most unsettling sensation that settled deep in the pit of her stomach.

‘Hey sweet thing’ he murmured as he leaned up against her, his hand moving to caress her breast.

‘I know just the thing to put us in the mood’ he added, reaching for the remote. ‘You want to watch a naughty movie?’

Ginny chuckled, all her inhibitions gone. She nodded enthusiastically.

WCWCWC

Diana hung up the phone and returned to the preparation of a quiche for their dinner. Although Ginny had told her she was having dinner at her friend Hannah’s, she’d called over there to check on her just the same. Ginny was her wild child and she wouldn’t put it past her to try to pull a fast one although… how much trouble one could get into at four forty-five on a Tuesday afternoon was up for debate. Then again, this was Ginny and she’d been acting up in all kinds of ways over the last few months, defying authority and testing limits. 

Christie was always on her case about giving their daughter some space to live her life. According to her wife, as long as their youngest daughter came home by curfew and wasn’t being brought home by the police, they were doing all right. Diana wasn’t one hundred percent on board. Although Olivia had navigated the early teen years without much fuss, the same couldn’t be said about Ginny. 

The call to the Wilson house hadn’t totally satisfied the mother of two. Yes, Hannah had confirmed that Ginny was over there and was otherwise occupied in the washroom while Hannah’s mom had gone out to pick up Chinese for their dinner. Diana resolved to follow up in a few minutes with another call just to make sure her wild child wasn’t pulling a fast one on her. She checked the time once more and was about to try Ginny’s cell when the phone rang.

‘Hi Mom’ came Ginny’s voice.

‘Hi honey!’

‘Hannah said you called while I was in the bathroom’ Ginny said, her voice tight.

‘You all right sweetie? You sound a little… weird.’ 

‘I’ve got a headache but I’m fine’ she lied.

‘All right. Well, don’t stay over there too late. Call if you need a ride home.’

‘Mrs. Wilson said she’d drop me off.’ 

Diana hung up, feeling silly for having checked up on her daughter. Due diligence, she told herself. Due diligence.

WCWCWC

She’d asked Logan to leave the room so she could call her mom. She was feeling giddy and she didn’t think she could pull it off with a straight face if Logan was sitting there, watching her.

‘You can come in now’ she chanted.

She watched him waltz in and stop in front of her, pulling his shirt off over his head. The SOS call from Hannah had come just as he’d managed to get her top off and had been groping her breasts through her lacy bra. She was hoping there would be no more interruptions.

He pulled down his pants and stood there in his boxers as she cooed. She made a half-hearted effort to unbuckle her jeans but found her fingers less than cooperative.

‘Need some help with that?’ he murmured as he settled in beside her and got to work.

His hands ran up her naked thigh and up her back to her bra, expertly unfastening the clasp. He smiled in appreciation at the sight of her firm young body. She looked just as good as he’d hoped: young, unscarred skin, pliant and soft to the touch. 

A perfect specimen. Of course, he had to try the merchandise to be sure, make certain she lived up to expectations. 

After all, he had big plans for Virginia Berrigan.

WCWCWC

It was hard to tell who was ‘interviewing’ who. As much as George O’Rourke had questions about Liam, his performance at school and on the court, Neal, Sara and Liam had a long list of questions of their own about life at the University of Virginia.

The man was what might be described as a bon vivant, a large man with a booming voice who was used to meeting families and reassuring them by responding to their many questions. He’d gotten the rundown about Liam’s performance on the court from Coach Delgado and frankly, Liam’s stats spoke for themselves. Top league scorer for two years running on the senior team, MVP for the previous year and top contender for the honour again this year. Frankly, the young man was one of those rare species who had it all it seemed.

‘So, tell me about your social life’ the man said between bites of what he claimed was the best strawberry rhubarb pie he’d ever tasted.

‘Good looking young man like you must have girls lining up after a game.’

Liam glanced over at his father and Neal could sense the tension dripping off his son.

Liam just shrugged and smiled demurely. It appeared that whatever Coach Delgado had shared with the recruiter, it hadn’t extended to his star player’s sexual orientation.

O’Rourke gave Liam a rather lewd wink. ‘You got yourself a little girl on the side?’ he asked directly.

Neal had feared the topic of his son’s social life might come up but he hadn’t expected the question to be so direct. He bit his tongue. As much as he wanted to come to Liam’s rescue, it wasn’t his place to speak up.

‘More tea?’ Sara asked, smiling at the man and reaching for the teapot. 

The man let out a roaring laugh. ‘If I have much more, I’ll be spending the whole second quarter in and out of the latrine’ he said. ‘As my wife says, I piss like a horse.’

Neal took advantage of the distraction to pick up the folder of materials the man had laid out for them and pointed to the list of programs offered.

‘Liam is leaning towards something in economics’ he said. ‘Can you tell us about your programs.’

‘Economics, huh? Well, as you can see we have several options although I must admit I’m not much of an expert in that area. Tell you what I can do, though. I could get the chair of the department to give Liam here a call and have a chat.’

‘That would be great’ Liam said, getting to his feet. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I have to go up and get ready for the game. Coach wants us there an hour before start time.’

George O’Rourke stood and shook Liam’s hand. ‘Of course, don’t want to keep you from your warm-up. After all, that’s why I came… to see you play.’

Neal and Sara watched as Liam headed for the stairs, eager to get the hell out of there. 

The man put out his plate and winked at Sara. ‘I don’t suppose I could have another sliver of your delicious pie now, could I little lady?’

She smiled politely and gave a quick glance in Neal’s direction. Apparently a good ole boy like Mr. O’Rourke couldn’t fathom that the ‘best strawberry rhubarb pie he’d ever tasted’ had been lovingly prepared by the patriarch of the family.

‘Now, why don’t we talk scholarship for a moment’ the man said.

WCWCWC

Cody was lying on Liam’s bed reading a book when Liam made it up to his bedroom. He closed the door behind him and sat on the edge of the bed, his breathing rapid.

‘Did you hear all that?’ he asked his boyfriend.

‘Kinda hard not to. The guy’s got a voice like a bullhorn.’

Liam smiled, finally relaxing.

‘It’s like a fucking inquisition down there’ he moaned. ‘Why is it people don’t just ask ‘Anyone special in your life?’ instead of that old ‘Do you have a gir—’’

Cody’s hand was on his arm. ‘I know, I know… it just doesn’t come naturally in some circles.’

Liam sighed. ‘I want to be… honest. I’m proud of who I am and I’m proud of you.’

‘It’s okay babe, it’s okay. Everything in its own good time.’

Liam reached for Cody’s face, pulling him to him and kissing him hard. ‘Why don’t we go downstairs and do this in front of that… redneck.’

‘That’s not going to do any good’ Cody reminded him. ‘Babe, you can still be yourself but you don’t have to flaunt it, you know.’

‘Well, well, well, lookie here’ Liam said with an exaggerated twang. ‘The president of the GSA wants to hold back on PDA’s. Who the hell are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?’

‘Cute’ Cody replied with a gentle smile. ‘Liam, that guy down there can’t keep you from being true to yourself. And remember, this is a two way street. He’s deciding if you’re what they want on their team but you get to decide where you want to play, where you’ll be happy playing.’

Liam nodded. 

‘Now are you going to change into your uniform so I can sit here and watch?’ he asked lewdly.

Liam wagged his eyebrows and got to his feet.

WCWCWC

There was a gentle snore coming from the living room where Ginny lay sleeping restlessly while Logan paced in the kitchen nearby.

‘I need a little more time’ he said into the phone.

‘I don’t know… a couple of weeks. I know, I know… but I’m still not sure there’s enough of a wedge between her and her parents. I need to work on that a little more.’

He peeked into the living room, making sure she was still out.

‘Yeah, she was good. Naive in that good way… clients are going to love her.’

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

The throbbing in Neal’s mouth pulsated to the beat of the vibrating bleachers as enthusiastic fans stomped their feet. White Plains High always celebrated the playoffs with pomp and circumstance: ambience music, canteen, cheerleaders and students leading chants between plays. He rubbed his cheek and winced as he glanced over to the other side of the gym where George O’Rourke sat in the very top row, clipboard on his lap.

He returned his attention to the game as White Plains continued to pound their cohorts from New Rochelle. If Liam was unsettled about having someone watching his every move, it didn’t show. So far, he’d been having a terrific game, one of his best of the season, totally focussed on the task at hand.

‘You okay?’ came Sara’s voice.

‘I’d forgotten how painful root canals can be’ Neal whined in reply.

She placed her hand on his arm and patted it lovingly as her eyes followed her son down the court. With a sudden burst of energy, he made it into enemy territory and nabbing a pass from Will, he leaped into the air, skillfully sinking the ball into the Rockets’ basket as Sara jumped to her feet with a resonating cheer. 

‘Another goal!’ she shouted followed by a lout hoot.

Neal watched as she inelegantly cranked her arm in celebration and he shook his head in dismay. When it came to sports terminology, Sara was hopeless. He couldn’t remember how many times he’d explained the game to her and still, she remained clueless. In her defence, she only attended during the playoffs but still… Liam had been playing basketball for almost ten years.

She glanced up at the scoreboard. ‘I thought each goal was worth two points.’ 

Neal took a deep breath and pointed to the court. ‘It’s called a basket babe… and that was a three pointer’ he said as he attempted to rein in his mansplaining voice without much success. ‘Remember, I told you when you score from outside that line, it counts as three points.’

She scowled as if she’d never heard such an absurd thing in her life and shrugged it off. She’d probably be asking the same question again by the time the third quarter rolled around. Neal spotted Peter and Elizabeth arriving and waved as they climbed the rafters to join the Caffrey contingent.

‘Move over honey’ Neal instructed his daughter who sat to his right next to Cam.

‘What’d we miss?’ Peter asked as he took the spot next to Neal.

‘They’re killing it’ Neal replied, eyes moving to follow Liam as he led another rush up the court.

The crowd held its collective breath as he wormed his way through two defensive players and slammed on the brakes, the sound of his rubber soles screeching against the recently polished gym floor. He took a shot from the three point line once more as cheers erupted, the ball bouncing fitfully on the rim before finally sinking in with a loud thud. To his left, Neal heard Sara’s voice above the crowd. 

‘That’s a three pointer’ she said to Elizabeth as Neal grinned.

‘So where is he?’ Peter asked, scanning the crowd.

Mozzie, who’d been sitting in front of Neal alongside Caitlin and Cody pointed across the gym. ‘That big guy over there’ he announced.

Neal gave him a shove. ‘Moz! Put your hand down. He’s going to think we’re staring at him.’

Mozzie grimaced. ‘We are staring at him.’ 

‘So, how’d it go?’ Peter couldn’t help but ask.

Neal shrugged, not bothering to look over at his best friend. ‘You know… it’s his first recruiter, there’ll be others.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘I’ll tell you later’ Neal replied curtly, eyes riveted on the action.

From her vantage point, Caitlin could see Virginia Berrigan, lined up at the canteen right off the court. Following her recent conversation with Neal, Ginny had been on her mind constantly. Maybe this was her chance to see if her fears about the young teen were founded.

‘I’m going to go check out the snacks’ she called out as Neal mindlessly reached into his pocket for his wallet.

‘Here, get a couple of those popcorn buckets for everyone, will you?’ he said, handing over a twenty. Caitlin made her way down the bleachers to the sound of the crowd chanting ‘De-fence, de-fence, de-fence.’

Despite the fact the game was on, there were several people lined up for drinks and snacks, mostly younger kids whose parents had given up on getting them to sit quietly and watch. Caitlin took her place behind Ginny, giving her a gentle tap on the shoulder.

‘Hey, what’s up?’

Ginny looked up, her eyes droopy. She managed a smile. Caitlin knew that look all too well, the comedown after some sort of chemically induced high. 

‘How are things going?’ she attempted again.

‘All right’ Ginny moaned and rolled her eyes. ‘My moms insisted we all come tonight.’

‘It’s a good game though’ Caitlin commented, eager to keep the conversation going.

Ginny took a step forward, easing closer to the front of the line and Caitlin decided to take a chance. It was now or never.

‘I noticed you’ve been hanging around with Logan lately’ she said.

Ginny’s hand subconsciously went to her neckline, pulling out the necklace he’d given her from under the top edge of her t-shirt. Caitlin glanced down at it.

‘Did he give you that?’

A smile danced on Ginny’s lips. ‘We’re… going steady.’

Caitlin hummed and nodded, trying to look impressed. It was obviously the reaction Ginny was hoping for. 

‘He’s… he seems like a fun guy.’

Ginny’s disposition seemed to improve instantly. Talking about her new boyfriend was a sure way to elevate her mood. 

‘Isn’t he gorgeous?’ she said enthusiastically.

Caitlin smiled. ‘A little old for you, isn’t he?’

‘Age is just a state of mind. That’s what Logan always says.’

‘Well, he knows how to party, that’s for sure’ Caitlin said. ‘Are you… are you being careful?’

For a moment, she was afraid she might be pushing it but Ginny looked at her with a wide grin. Apparently, she was in a sharing mood. She opened her purse, exposing its contents and pointed.

‘He got me a prescription for birth control pills’ Ginny announced, her face flushed.

To Caitlin’s silence, Ginny continued. ‘I’m new to all this but Logan’s been so patient and sweet.’

‘I… I meant he’s pretty flush with his party favours. You don’t want to get hooked on that stuff he passes around.’

‘Logan says the stuff he gives me is harmless. Just… you know, something to help me relax.’

Caitlin glanced up at the stands where her foster dad was deep in conversation with Peter. He’d initiated plenty of difficult conversations with her over the years. Did she have it in her to do the same?

‘You know, a couple of years ago, I got caught up taking a lot of stuff at parties’ Caitlin said. ‘It messed with my head after a while and I was having trouble functioning without it. Took me months to get my head back on straight.’

Ginny listened and scoffed. ‘That won’t happen to me’ she said with a nervous giggle.

‘What can I get you?’ came the canteen girl’s voice, interrupting the sensitive conversation. Ginny turned away from Caitlin to place her order.

Looked like that was all Caitlin was going to get out of her. At least for now. But nothing Ginny had said had done anything to quell her sense of foreboding that the young teen might be getting in too deep.

Ginny began to walk away as Caitlin called out to her. ‘If you need anything… remember, I’m around.’

WCWCWC

By halftime, the family dispersed, leaving Neal and Peter alone in their seats as the school band invaded the court to perform a thankfully short rendition of Start Me Up while the players retreated to the change room for the halftime pep talk. Neal’s eyes remained on George O’Rourke, master recruiter who was busy jotting down some notes despite the chaos around him.

‘So what happened with this guy? Didn’t he like your pie?’ Peter added with a chuckle. 

Neal looked over at his buddy and scoffed. ‘The pie wasn’t the problem.’

‘There was a problem?’

Neal shook his head. ‘Not a problem exactly. Let’s just say Mr. O’Rourke is a poster child for the good ole boy from down south.’

‘What does that mean?’

Neal gave him a look of exasperation. ‘I’m just not sure Charlottesville is a good fit for Liam.’

‘Wh—?’ Peter stopped halfway through his question. ‘Oh, you mean…’

Even though Peter had accepted Liam’s homosexuality from day one, he always seemed ill at ease discussing it, as if he could never find the right words.

‘It’s hard enough blending into a new team without being the token gay guy’ Neal muttered with animosity.

He turned to face Peter. ‘It wasn’t easy for Liam to come out here at home where he’s surrounded by people who love him. Why should he have to… do it all over again in a hick town.’

Peter frowned. ‘I’m not sure that’s fair to the total population of Charlottesville.’

Neal sighed. Of course Peter was right but still, it irked him to think of his son having to kowtow to anybody just for being a gay man.

‘He could keep mum about it. Nobody needs to know.’

‘Seriously?’ Neal said with an edge of impatience. ‘You’re advocating Liam go back in the closet for the sake of a scholarship?’

Peter shrugged, momentarily at a loss for words. ‘Couldn’t he just… come out later when things have settled down and they’ve gotten to know just how terrific he is?’

Neal mindlessly grabbed for the bucket of popcorn and stuffed some in his mouth. As he chewed, his eyes moved in the direction of George O’Rourke.

‘Ultimately, it’s not mine or Sara’s decision. This is about Liam’ he mumbled as he munched. ‘But he’s… confused, doesn’t know if he should speak up now or just mention it casually when Cody eventually comes to visit.’

‘Maybe he’s better off knowing up front how they’ll react’ Peter said, reaching for the bucket and helping himself to a handful.

‘That’s what I don’t know. And Liam is counting on us for advice… I don’t know what to tell him.’

The amusing sight of Sara and Elizabeth teetering on their heels as they climbed up the bleachers brought the conversation to a sudden halt and within minutes the White Plains players took to the court, eager to add to their already healthy eighteen point lead.

WCWCWC

Diana lounged in their king size bed while her wife finished up with her daily moisturizing routine. 

‘Do you think we should do more things as a family?’ she asked.

Christie turned to look at her, eyebrows knotted. ‘Where did that come from?’

‘I don’t know… the girls seem to be out most of the time with their friends. Maybe we should be doing more stuff as a family.’

Christie slipped into bed next to her and scoffed. ‘Honey, they’re teenagers. Of course they want to hang out with their friends. How many teenagers do you know want to spend all their free time with their parents?’

‘But Ginny’s been so moody lately. She’s up and down and…’

‘Need I remind you she made curfew last weekend and we haven’t gotten a call from school in a couple of weeks.’

‘I guess…’ Diana said, her voice faraway. ‘I just hate watching them both slip away. The next thing we know, they’ll be moving out and…’

Christie curled up against her wife and chuckled. ‘What? You want them to go bowling with us every weekend and join us in Parcheesi tournaments until they’re into their thirties.’

‘No. But there are so many dangers out there… boys, drugs…’

Christie lifted her head so she could get a better look into Diana’s dark eyes. ‘I get it. I know you see the worst in people out there… so do I. Whenever someone comes into the ER with his head bashed in from speeding on a motorcycle or needing his stomach pumped… I can’t help wondering how I’d feel if it was one of the girls.’ 

Diana let out a loud exhale. ‘And to think I used to find it challenging when they were toddlers learning to walk.’

‘It’s hard to believe they’re teenagers already’ Christie agreed, kissing her wife.

Diana still wasn’t reassured. ‘You think Ginny’s going to be okay? She’s so… reckless and defiant. I don’t want her getting into trouble.’

‘I’ll admit she’s a handful but she’s been checking in regularly since we got her that new phone.’

Diana stared back speechless but Christie could read her mind. ‘Honey, if we ride her too hard… I’m afraid we’ll lose her. She’s strong willed and we need to give her some space to make her own decisions. If she messes up, we’ll be there for her.’

Maybe her wife was right. Maybe she was expecting too much of their younger daughter. True, she was adventurous and she had an eye for the boys but she ended each day in her bed down the hall from their room, safe from all dangers, real and imagined.

Diana tucked her body into her wife’s, feeling her comforting presence and sighing. After a while, she felt her body relax and slipped into a restless sleep.

WCWCWC

The whole conversation between husband and wife took place without a single word. It started with a head nod from Sara in the direction of their son who was by the front door saying goodnight to his boyfriend. Then came Neal’s scowl, his eyes wide as if asking for some clarification on what she expected from him. He followed that up with a shrug at which point, she raised her hands helplessly, gave him the evil eye and shook her head in disappointment. Finally, came the eye roll from Neal followed by a loud sigh as he stepped in closer to the two men, putting his hand on his son’s shoulder. 

‘Look, it’s getting late’ he said, eyes on Cody. ‘If you’d rather sleep over here… I mean, Sara and I would be fine with the two of you crashing on the hide a bed.’

Liam turned to look at his dad, eyes wide in disbelief. He returned his gaze to Cody who was looking just as puzzled as he felt.

‘Hum… I… Thanks Mr. Caffrey but… I have an exam early tomorrow morning. I should probably get home.’

Neal forced a smile. ‘Sure, whatever’ he muttered, feeling like a fool.

He turned away, giving the boys some badly needed privacy and followed his wife up the stairs, glaring at her back as he climbed up. 

‘Where the hell did that come from?’ Cody asked once they were alone.

‘Search me.’

‘Did I just say no thank you to your dad offering to let us spend the night together?’

Liam gave him a naughty smile and ran his hand up his chest. ‘No, I think what you meant to say was ‘Thanks Mr. Caffrey, that would be great’.’

Cody chuckled and moved in to kiss his boyfriend. There was some moaning and heavy breathing before they finally pulled apart to catch their breath.

‘Come to think of it, the other day my mom said that if you ever wanted to sleep over at our place, she and Dad would be fine with it.’

Liam watched his boyfriend’s lips move, only half listening. ‘Do you suppose my mom and dad talked to your mom and dad?’ 

Cody slipped his arms around Liam’s waist and pulled him closer. ‘No, I think your mom and my mom plotted this and roped our dads into it.’

They kissed and the moaning resumed. ‘Frankly’ Liam said between breathless kisses. ‘I don’t give a shit whose idea it was, I like it.’

They both giggled quietly before Cody pried himself away from the other man’s grasp.

‘Well, I really do have a math exam in the morning’ he said as Liam moaned in protest.  
‘But maybe we should take them up on their offer this weekend’ he added with a mischievous grin.

WCWCWC

At the top of the stairs, Sara turned to face Neal whose exasperated glare had morphed into audible grumbling.

‘Good job honey’ she said, stepping into their bedroom.

‘Good job?’ Neal repeated mockingly. ‘Good job? I looked like an idiot - pushing our son into bed with his boyfriend.’

‘You did not look like an idiot. You looked like a… a very understanding, hip dad.'

He rolled his eyes at her. ‘You didn’t see Cody’s face. He thought I’d just had a personality transplant.’

Sara opened her dresser drawer, pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants. ‘Don’t be silly. I’m sure he appreciated the offer.’

‘Well, the next time you want to incite a hot make-out session between your son and his boyfriend, do it yourself’ he mumbled as he began to unbutton his shirt.

There was a sharp knock at the door and Caitlin poked her head in. ‘Mr. C?’

‘Yeah, yeah. Come on in Caitlin.’

She stood at the door, as both her foster parents settled at the edge of the bed and turned to look at her.

‘I just wanted to tell you… I had a little talk with Ginny at the game.’

Neal smiled. It was nice to see her taking his advice and acting like a responsible young adult. ‘And?’

She took a step into the room and stood before them, hands fidgeting. ‘And now I’m even more worried than I was before. She’s dating that guy I told you about.’

Sara piped up, not privy to the details of her previous discussion with Neal. ‘What guy?’

‘This guy… he and his roommate host these… parties. He’s got to be at least twenty-two, twenty-three.’

‘And Ginny is dating this guy?’ Sara said with alarm.

‘Yeah, he’s giving her presents and… well, from what I can tell, she’s sleeping with him. He even got her some birth control.’ 

‘How did he do that?’

‘That’s just it, I don’t know. This isn’t the first time… last year, he was dating this girl from school, Lindsay. They were hot and heavy and then… well, Lindsay ran away from home and nobody’s heard from her since.’

Neal listened with interest, his mind reeling. What had little Ginny gotten herself mixed up with?

‘And that’s not all’ Caitlin continued. ‘There are plenty of drugs at those parties and Ginny looked like she was coming down from something when I talked to her tonight.’

Sara looked at her husband, worry lines appearing on her forehead. ‘Do you think we should talk to Diana and Christie about it?'

Caitlin became agitated. ‘No, don’t do that. They’ll want to know how you know and… I think maybe I can… I don’t know, maybe I can get Ginny to open up and confide in me. I could keep an eye on her… try to point her in the right direction. I mean I’ve been there… I’ve gotten myself in plenty of messes and maybe Ginny can learn from my… experiences.’

Neal and Sara exchanged bewildered looks. Just when they were about to throw in the towel, their foster daughter always managed to surprise them.

Neal stood and brought his arm to rest around Caitlin’s shoulder as she looked up at him. He gave her a quick hug.

‘All right, we’ll wait a little’ he said. ‘But I want you to keep me posted and if things get out of hand and you feel like you’re not getting anywhere with her, you need to tell me. Diana and Christie deserve to know what’s going on.’

‘Promise’ she said with a nod.

She closed the door behind her as Neal and Sara resumed getting ready for bed.

‘Well, well well…’ Neal said as he removed his shirt. ‘The good new is Caitlin is turning into a responsible young woman.’

Sara wagged her eyebrows. ‘Yeah, and the bad news is Ginny might be headed for trouble.’

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

‘Oh honey, I don’t have time for a big breakfast’ Peter said as he surveyed the spread Elizabeth had put out for him. 

A veritable low fat feast: soft boiled eggs, vege-bacon, fresh fruit, the whole nine yards. Frankly, he preferred those breakfast sandwiches he could get at the café next to the gallery. It had real bacon. And cheese.

‘What do you mean you don’t have time? Honey, we’ve been through this, you need a good healthy breakfast… I know what it’s like when you get caught up at work, you don’t make time for lunch half the time.’

‘Oh yeah?’ Peter said with an amused grin. ‘Who ratted me out?’

She ignored the question and stood behind him, hands on his back as she coaxed him into sitting down.

‘It’s Hope isn’t it? She’s the one who told you I didn’t have time for lunch yesterday.’

To her silence, he continued. ‘Or Cam… was it Cam? Because yesterday was just particularly busy —’

‘You never mind who my source is Peter Burke! Now sit!’ she ordered.

He reluctantly took a seat, grabbing for a piece of whole wheat toast - dry, no butter. He took a bite and immediately put it down on his plate, supressing a grimace.

‘El, I’m serious’ he said, chewing with disdain. ‘We’re getting a delivery this morning and I…’

She pushed his plate closer to him. ‘I already called the gallery. Cameron’s there and he said he can handle things until you get there. Eat!’

When he didn’t react, she picked up his fork and handed it to him. He began to worry she might spoon feed him if he didn’t cooperate so he took the fork from her and poked his sad looking, watery egg, watching as the yolk escaped onto the plate.

‘You know Hope and Cam are perfectly capable of running that place without you.’

There was silence for a moment and Peter began to wonder what she was really getting at.

‘I’ve been thinking… maybe it’s time we start talking about retirement.’

Peter sputtered, coffee dribbling down his chin. He wiped his mouth and stared down at his shirt, checking for any damage. Seeing none, he set his gaze on his wife.

‘Retirement? El, what are you talking about? Working at the gallery is retirement.’

‘No honey, it’s not’ she said in that determined tone of hers. ‘When you left the Bureau, I thought we’d have a lot more time to spend together but you’re putting in forty to sixty hour weeks at the gallery.’

‘Yeah, because I love it. It keeps me… involved.’

He could see her shoulders drooping and he reached out to squeeze her hand. ‘What’s this all about El? You’ve got your work… aren’t you enjoying it any more?’

‘I am. It’s just… I guess I expected us to have more down time after you quit the FBI and now you’re just as intense about the gallery.’

‘Honey, I love you’ he said, searching for the right words. ‘I love coming home to you every night. But I also love working at the Raphael with Neal and Hope and Cam—’

‘Neal’s hardly ever at the gallery anymore. He spends most of his time at the school.’

‘That’s just it. He counts on me to keep things running smoothly when he can’t be there.’

She shrugged. ‘Let’s just… let’s think about it, all right? Maybe not right away but…’

‘Promise’ he said, getting to his feet and taking one last sip of coffee. He slipped on his jacket and looked over at the lamp he’d brought home the previous week. It was still sitting in the same spot where he’d left it - on the sideboard by the dining room table.

‘How come the new lamp’s still there?’ he asked as if she was solely in charge of decorating the house - which, of course, she was.

She took a sip of coffee and glanced in its direction. ‘I’m still deciding where I want to put it. It’s bigger than the old one.’

He nodded and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. ‘Well, you have a great day honey and I’ll see you tonight. Don’t forget Neal and I are helping Mozzie with that storage unit of his after work.’

She glanced down at his barely touched plate and called out to him as he headed out the door.

‘Make sure you have lunch!’

WCWCWC

A similar scene was playing out in the Caffrey home, northeast of Brooklyn where Neal found his son at the kitchen table, getting an early start on the day. He reached into the cupboard for his low fat, low sugar cereal and made his way to join Liam, watching with interest as colourful sugar laden o’s floated around the bottom of his son’s bowl.

‘How’d you sleep?’ he asked.

Liam kept his head down, slurping up the last few drops of sweet milk. ‘Okay’ he mumbled.

‘Wow!’ Neal said sarcastically. ‘I’m bowled over by your enthusiasm.’

Liam shrugged. 

‘I thought you’d be on cloud nine after last night. That’s only your second fifty points plus game’ Neal said with obvious pride.

‘Really Dad? I had no idea you kept track of all that stuff.’

It was Neal’s turn to shrug, slightly embarrassed at just how invested he was in his son’s performance on the court.

‘I’m just… I’m proud of you. I’m glad you didn’t let O’Rourke get inside your head.’

‘You know Dad, I’ve been thinking… I’m not sure Charlottesville is the place for me. I mean, Coach Delgado says I’ll probably have my pick of five or six places. Maybe I should wait and see before I rush into anything.’

Neal grabbed his son’s shoulder and squeezed. ‘That sounds like a great idea. There’s a lot to consider and you should definitely take your time and do what’s best for you.’

Liam stood to put his dirty bowl in the sink and leaned back against the counter, looking down at his dad. ‘You want to tell me what that was all about last night… that thing with Cody.’

Sara appeared, dressed impeccably and ready for her work day. 

‘What thing with Cody?’ she asked as Neal gave her the old ‘I told you so’ look. As far as he was concerned, she could bloody well field his question. He’d been plenty embarrassed about the whole thing as it was.

‘Telling Cody he was welcome to sleep over’ Liam said.

Sara patted his arm on her way to the coffee maker. ‘Dad and I just think you and Cody have earned the right to… have some private time.’

He grimaced, confused. ‘But just a few months ago, you gave me the whole song and dance about being free to do as I please once I could pay my own way.’

‘Well, maybe we were a bit hasty’ she admitted. ‘You’ve shown us that you’re responsible and… well, you’ve earned some privileges.’

Liam smiled and shrugged. ‘Great.’

‘We’re not saying he can move in’ she said, feeling the need to clarify.

Liam collected his things, trying to camouflage the smile on his face. ‘Yeah, yeah, I get it’ he mumbled as he took his leave.

‘What are you smirking about?’ Sara said once she and Neal were alone.

‘Nothing, just enjoying watching you squirm’ he replied as he stood and just as Liam had done moments before, put his empty bowl in the sink.

He got up nice and close to her, ignoring the scowl on her face. ‘You’re cute when you squirm’ he said, kissing the tip of her nose.

‘I wasn’t squ—’ she began as he grabbed his briefcase.

‘Don’t forget I’m going to help Mozzie at the warehouse after work’ he said on his way out. ‘You’ll have to fend for yourself for dinner.’ 

‘I can… fend for myself’ she said, suddenly annoyed by his smugness. 

‘I know you can. Love you Repo’ he called out on his way out the door.

WCWCWC

Not that he was a chronic worrier, but like everybody else, Neal Caffrey had things happening in his life that troubled him and required serious reflection. Years ago, he’d taken to heart some advice he’d read somewhere about worrying, how it was inevitable and that, rather than let worry invade your every waking moment, you should carve out some ‘worry time’ every day, a short uninterrupted period of time where you worked through some of those pesky issues that were lurking in the dark recesses of your mind. He’d gotten into the habit of taking a few minutes for such daily reflection while he was at his desk at the school of art. Once he’d dealt with any urgent school matters and returned calls and e-mails, he’d sit back with a cup of coffee and cogitate about the state of his life. Fifteen minutes, mind you. No more, no less. Just enough time to see things clearly, come up with a course of action and brush aside the unresolved worries for another day. 

He sat back, listening to the sounds emanating from outside his office door. Mornings were generally quiet at the June Ellington School of Art. It was a time for lesson planning and prep, staff meetings and the new preschool classes they’d recently begun to offer two mornings a week. Afternoons were when the ex-church on Prentiss Street really came alive with countless school age kids attending classes while others dropped by just to hang out or to work on personal projects. 

By 10:35, Neal had his feet up on his desk and was inhaling the heavenly aroma of Italian roast - the only coffee he allowed at the school. He thought he’d open with a quick mental review of all that was right with his life. For one thing, the throbbing pain he’d been enduring for the past twenty-four hours had become more of a low grade ache, something he could certainly cope with. Then there was the fact that White Plains High had aced their first game of the playoffs, hopefully setting them on the path to another victory in the city wide championship. His foster daughter was showing signs of becoming a conscientious young woman, an unexpected bonus. His mom, although not in the greatest of health, seemed to be going through a good spell - for which he was grateful. Then there was Hope who’d come through another minor surgery with flying colours and was in good spirits once again. He reflected briefly on his many relationships, noting he wasn’t at odds with anyone in his life, putting his mind perfectly at ease. All was good with Peter, with Mozzie, with his staff. To top it off, things were good between him and Sara and everything was running reasonably smoothly at the school as well as the gallery. 

Overall, not a bad time to be Neal Caffrey.

That left the things that were weighing heavily on his mind. Sara’s court date was right around the corner and even though she seemed to be coping reasonably well, he’d noticed her growing more tense as the time drew near. He’d better lay off the teasing for now, maybe pick up some flowers for her or better yet, have them delivered to her office. That usually put a smile on her face. Maybe he could throw in a date night, dinner out, a little romance to keep her mind from focussing needlessly on the inevitably difficult days ahead. With a plan of action slowly forming in his mind’s eye, Neal moved on to thoughts of Liam.

After meeting Mr. Good Ole Boy from Virginia, he now realized that Liam’s anxiety about his future was well founded and that picking a college wasn’t going to be an easy task for his only son. Beyond the usual considerations, it was becoming clear that Liam’s sexual orientation would inevitably be a factor in his choice of school. Now more than ever, he and Sara needed to be there to help their son navigate the next few months. A wave of sadness swept over him; finally settled in a life he was comfortable and happy with, Liam was being forced to reexamine some deep existential questions about his place in the world. He would need his parents’ support in order to make the right decision about his future and Neal was determined to be there for him.

Caitlin’s news regarding Ginny’s extracurricular activities was also troubling him. Ever since she’d shared her concerns about the young teen, Neal had begun to imagine how he’d feel if the roles were reversed. What if Diana was aware of something potentially dangerous happening with Hope or Liam — or Caitlin for that matter. Wouldn’t he want her to come clean so he could deal with the situation? Then again, he’d promised Caitlin he’d give her some time to dig around, see if she could gain Ginny’s trust, maybe get her to see that her high risk behaviour might lead to trouble.   
His relationship with his foster daughter was fragile at the moment especially following his recent false accusations. If he went behind her back he might further damage the delicate trust between them, something he couldn’t afford to do.

‘There’s always another way’ he murmured under his breath, a firm belief that had served him well throughout his life. Maybe there was a way to put a bug in Diana’s ear without breaking his promise to Caitlin. His mind churned away as he sipped, humming in appreciation of the tasty brew. 

A knock on his office door abruptly interrupted his problem solving session.

‘Neal?’ came Cindy Harrington’s voice. ‘I thought we had a staff meeting at eleven.’

He checked his watch, letting his feet drop to the floor with a clatter. He took a sip, finding his coffee lukewarm; he must have been sitting there longer than he’d realized.

‘Is it that time already?’ he asked, getting to his feet and straightening his tie.

‘Gone past’ she said with a gentle smile. ‘Did I interrupt your worry time?’

He chuckled; there were things he couldn’t hide from June’s granddaughter even if he tried. He made his way around the desk, grabbing for his notes as he went.

‘I think I need to start keeping things from you’ he said as he followed her out.

WCWCWC

In midtown Manhattan, Sara Ellis was engrossed in worry time of her own. Although she shared the same concerns Neal had when it came to their kids, her mind seemed to be on a repeat cycle, landing over and over again on vivid images of herself sitting in a courtroom with her attacker watching her with dark, brooding eyes.

It had been two years since the sordid events and each time she replayed them in her mind, it seemed that Hyun Than looked more menacing, more intimidating, more evil. In truth, he was a rather diminutive man who’d taken advantage of her drugged out state to force himself on her while she lay there totally helpless. In her everyday life, Sara would have disposed of him soundly making use of her gritty comebacks and her trusty baton. But she had been stripped of her usual defences, kept barely conscious, her body limp and ineffective, unable to fight off his disgusting advances.

She shook her head, taking stock of her surroundings. Her well furbished office was safe, she was safe and there was no rational reason for those persistent fears and apprehensions. But then again, this had little to do with reason and rationalization. The tremor in her hands, the queasiness deep in the pit of her stomach… they were dictated by her own mind and the power she still gave the troubling memories. Deep in her psyche, she could hear the voice of Marion Birch, her beloved therapist, as she repeated a few choice empowering ‘mantras’. 

I have the power.   
I am strong.  
I am in charge of how I feel.  
I create a safe and secure space for myself wherever I am.

Sara realized she was murmuring them over and over again as she looked up towards her office door. Had she just heard knocking?

‘Sara?’ her assistant said as she peeked in. ‘Something just came for you.’

She opened the door wide and a large bouquet appeared with spring flowers and some orchids mixed in… someone who knew her well was sending her a bouquet and it wasn’t hard to figure out who that someone was.

Janet stepped in and walked over to the large white credenza tucked underneath Sara’s office window, moving things aside to make room for the large vase.

‘I didn’t know it was your anniversary’ the woman said as she rearranged a few of the flowers.

‘It isn’t’ Sara replied, feeling a lump forming in her throat. ‘Not for a couple of weeks anyway.’

‘Well, it looks like your husband is thinking ahead’ she said, handing her the small envelope which had been tucked away among the blooms. Sara stared down at it, her hands still shaking. 

‘Thanks Janet’ she murmured as the young woman retreated. 

Sara’s eyes were drawn to a stylized heart in rich hues of pink and red with her name calligraphed on the inside. This was no call in order, Neal must have gone into the shop to order these in person. On the inside, an echo of the same heart accompanied by a short text in Neal’s tidy handwriting: My friend, my love, my partner, my wife — I'm better because I have you in my life.

She let out a soft gasp, her hand moving to cover her mouth. Here he was stepping up as he always did when she needed him the most. Her eyes moved to admire the bouquet, all thoughts of anger, fear and regret disappearing in a puff of smoke.

How did he always know?

WCWCWC

It had definitely been worth dropping in to one of his favourite flower shops so he could hand draw the card for his wife. Those were the kinds of details that really paid off, those little touches that let her know he was there for her in her time of need. Neal stepped out into the sunshine and flagged a cab on his way to the Federal Plaza. A quick call to Diana and she’d been only too happy to step away from the grind for an hour or so to meet him for coffee. 

A plan was slowly forming in his devious mind as he sat in the taxi, watching the world go by. As he well knew, there was always an element of truth in any con - even those that held no malice but rather were designed to help someone you cared very much about. 

It wasn’t like he and Diana hadn’t had heart to hearts before. The two of them had always been close, their friendship sealed when he’d stepped in to play the role of midwife in an elevator sixteen years earlier. Neither one of them had asked for such an intimate encounter but it had gone a long way to keeping them tight over the years.

She was waiting for him outside the café, a big smile on her face, probably relieved to be playing hooky for an hour. They embraced and took a spot across from each other on the terrace. 

‘You look like I just sprung you from jail.’

‘I won’t lie’ Diana replied. ‘If it’s not one thing, it’s another. It’s nice to get away from the office for a little while. Besides…’ she added, pointing to the sky. ‘… who would want to be cooped up in an office when you can be out here enjoying the sunshine?’

‘You look great Diana’ he said in all sincerity. ‘Running the unit really suits you.’

She shrugged. ‘I’ll admit I enjoy the pace at the Bureau.’

He nodded and she frowned. ‘What’s up?’

‘Aww you know. The usual… Liam’s being scouted by some universities. This thing with Sara is happening next week…’

She nodded and smiled. ‘What about Hope? Didn’t she have another procedure last week?’

He smiled as he thought of his daughter. ‘All good, another one down…’

‘Why do I feel you’re not telling me everything Caffrey?’

The waitress appeared and set down a couple of lattes. Neal picked up his cup and blew gently before taking a sip.

‘You know… the usual. Caitlin’s been giving us a run for our money.’

‘Tell me about it! I’ve got two of them at home, I get it.’

Neal waited to see if she’d say more. When she silently turned to her latte, he spoke.

‘Yeah but your girls are so… cooperative. They never seem to step out of line.’

She scoffed, practically choking on her latte. ‘Are you kidding? Ginny’s turned into a wild child the last few months.’

‘Ginny? Come on Diana, sweet little Ginny?’ he said, prodding her to continue. ‘What kind of trouble could she be getting into?’

For the first time since they’d sat down, he saw clouds in her eyes. 

‘How do you do it? I mean with Caitlin. Ginny keeps testing us, staying out late, seeing boys, I’m afraid she might be experimenting with drugs.’

Neal frowned and leaned in to listen. She was on a roll, now all he had to do was listen, slip in the odd comment, the odd unsolicited piece of advice.

‘And she’s moody. All the time. You never know if she’s going to smile at you or blow up. To be honest, I’m at my wit’s end. It doesn’t help that Christie is always willing to give her a pass.’

Her eyes moved to study Neal. ‘How do you and Sara do it? Do you always agree when it comes to Caitlin?’

Neal scoffed. ‘Are you kidding? As much as Sara was the disciplinarian with Hope and Liam, she’s got a soft spot when it comes to Caitlin. If it wasn’t for her, I would have put a chastity belt on Caitlin and locked her in her room a long time ago. But you know… we talk it out, find a happy medium without letting her get away with anything dangerous.’

Diana’s eyes grew thoughtful. ‘I think Ginny is seeing a boy behind our backs. And she’s keeping it from us which leads me to believe we wouldn’t approve. And the erratic behaviour… I suspect drugs but Christie says I’m imagining things. I’ve been riding her pretty hard, checking up on her…’

‘Nothing wrong with that’ Neal said. ‘You know that night we had dinner at your place? I was texting Liam to find out if Caitlin had made curfew. You know the old saying, ‘trust but verify’.’

‘It doesn’t help that Christie and I have such busy and stressful jobs. She works twelve hour shifts and sometimes stuff happens and I have to stay late at the office. You know what it’s like.’

Neal nodded. He felt a twinge of guilt for having tricked her into opening up about Ginny. It was the lesser of two evils and certainly better than betraying Caitlin’s trust. 

‘With Liv, it was never an issue. She’s like an open book, always where she should be, following the rules.’

‘Do you think maybe she’s covering for Ginny?’

‘Maybe…’ Diana replied as if she’d never really given it much thought. ‘Isn’t that what sisters do though?’

‘I suppose… unless Ginny is getting in over her head. Exigent circumstances and all that.'

‘You’re right. I should have a talk with Liv, see what she knows about this mystery boy. There are limits to keeping secrets, right?’

‘I think so’ Neal volunteered. ‘The greater good and all that?’

He reached over and patted her hand. ‘You know you’ve always had great instincts Diana. You should really go with your gut.’

She smiled and nodded. ‘You’re right. Thanks Caffrey, that helps. It helps a lot.'

WCWCWC

In hindsight, Mozzie should have seen it coming. On his way to the pub for his daily libation, he became vaguely aware of a man walking a few steps behind him as he approached a quiet cross street. When he turned to check things out, he felt the man grab his elbow and push him towards the side street where a second larger guy appeared on his left side, both of them leading him towards a nearby van. 

He’d just opened his mouth to protest when he felt a sudden prick on the inside of his arm followed by a weakness in his legs. After that, it was lights out.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

‘I’m glad you came over’ El said once she and Sara were settled on the living room couch with their glasses of wine.

Cartons of Chinese food littered the coffee table, more full than not as the two friends picked their way through orders of chow mein, broccoli and beef and General Tao chicken. 

‘Well, Neal’s out, Hope is over at Cam’s, Caitlin is at a friend’s place and Liam is… come to thing of it, I’m not sure where Liam is but he’s out with Cody somewhere.’

El picked at the veggies, loading a couple of spoonfuls onto her plate. ‘Well, I’m glad for the company. Ever since Mozzie started his little treasure hunt, the three of them have turned into the Hardy Boys.’ 

Sara chuckled. ‘Weren’t there only two of them?’

Elizabeth looked up, searching her memory. ‘Right, well the Goonies then’ she said with a giggle. 

She deftly brought a broccoli floret to her lips with her chopsticks and looked over at Sara. ‘What are they looking for anyway?’

‘Don’t you know?’

El shook her head. 

‘Mozzie found out the storage unit he bought used to belong to some gangster from Chicago. They think he hid some diamonds in there somewhere.'

El chuckled. ‘You’re kidding… just another one of Mozzie’s crazy adventures.’

‘He’s already found some valuable treasury bills hidden inside a dresser’ Sara said with a shrug.

‘Well, I’m sure they’re having a great old time. You know Peter likes to pretend Mozzie’s a nuisance but deep down, he really likes spending time with him.’

Sara wagged her eyebrows. ‘What’s that saying about strange bedfellows?’

‘I think it’s ‘politics make strange bedfellows’ but I agree Peter and Mozzie are an unusual pair.’

‘It’s Neal…’ Sara said with a fond look in her eyes. ‘He has this way of bringing people together. He’s always been like that.’

‘So, tell me how’s Hope feeling?’

‘She’s good. She’s back to being her good old self.’

‘Is she still having nightmares?’

‘She had one a few weeks back but before that, she hadn’t had one in months.’

‘What about Neal?’

‘It’s still hard on him. Sometimes, he can’t bring himself to look her in the eye when she’s going through a rough patch.’

Elizabeth sighed. ‘But they’re so close.’

‘I think that’s part of the problem.’

They both grew quiet, sipping their wine. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask’ El said, breaking the silence. ‘Would you be okay if Peter and I come to court with you next week?’

Sara seemed surprised by the question. The offer was coming from the heart but frankly, she wasn’t sure how she felt about having spectators there, watching it all in real time.

‘I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable’ Elizabeth hastened to add. ‘We just… we want you to know we support you.’

Sara’s face grew dark, thoughts of what lay ahead reflected in her eyes. ‘I… to be honest, I don’t know…’

Elizabeth was already regretting having brought it up. ‘It’s okay… why don’t you think about it.’ She reached out and touched her friend’s hand. ‘Honey, we want to do what’s best for you.'

Eager to change the suddenly gloomy mood, Sara got to her feet and walked over to the dining room, eyes on the new Tiffany lamp sitting there.

‘This is new. Didn’t you have one like this before?’

‘Oh, you missed all the drama. My nephew smashed the other when they were here last week. Mozzie gave Peter this one. I’d told him how upset Peter was that Bryce had broken the only thing he had from his mom.’

Sara ran her hand along the edge of the ornate shade and leaned down to plug it in. It lit up in a kaleidoscope of bright rich colours. ‘It’s gorgeous. Where are you going to put it?’

Elizabeth followed her into the dining room, eyes roaming. ‘That’s just it, I can’t decide. It’s a little big to put it where the other one was. Maybe, this coffee table’ she said pointing to a side table in the living room.

‘What about here, on the bookcase? It would look amazing if you clear that middle shelf to make room for it.’

Elizabeth hemmed and hawed as she considered Sara’s suggestion. ‘Maybe… I guess we could give it a try.’

WCWCWC

The doorbell rang just as Christie was finishing up the dinner dishes. It was 7:30 on a weeknight, not exactly prime time for company. 

‘Caitlin!’ she exclaimed at the sight of Neal and Sara’s foster daughter standing on the stoop. ‘What brings you here?’

The teen stared back, arms laden with books, looking studious and earnest.

‘I promised Ginny I’d give her a hand with her math homework’ she lied expertly. 

Christie stared back with her mouth agape. ‘Oh… she didn’t say anything about that. Come on in’ she said as she stepped aside to let the teen into the house.

‘That’s really nice of you’ she added as she led her into the den off their kitchen. ‘I’ll go tell her you’re here.’

Caitlin was quick to speak up. ‘You know, if you don’t mind I’ll just go find her in her room’ she said, heading down the short hallway that housed the bedrooms in the family’s bungalow.

She’d been to the Berrigan-Cooper home on a couple of occasions over the past few years, once when the women had hosted a get-together for Peter and El’s wedding anniversary and another time when they’d had everyone over for cake on Diana’s birthday. She recalled the configuration and walked right up to Virginia Berrigan’s closed bedroom door. She gave a quick knock and without waiting for an answer, she proceeded to step inside.

‘What the hell!’ Ginny called out.

WCWCWC

It had started innocently enough. The boys had agreed to meet at the Caffrey house, order pizza and get to work on a couple of assignments. Cody was writing a social studies paper on the history of gay rights around the world and Liam was cramming for a calculus test first thing in the morning. At first, they’d tried to work as they ate but a large splat of tomato sauce landing smack dab in the middle of Liam’s textbook dictated they take the time to eat before they got to work.

The mistake had been to move their drinks and the pizza box over to the family room where they’d spontaneously sprawled out on the couch. It had started innocently enough with Cody feeding Liam bites of his pizza then proceeding to lean in and lick his boyfriend’s lips whenever Liam accidentally made a mess of things. Licking turned into kissing which turned into groping which turned into stripping off each other’s clothes which led to… well, need I say more?

‘You sure no one’s coming home’ Cody murmured between heated kisses.

‘Uh huh’ Liam managed to say as he relieved his boyfriend of his t-shirt.

‘Maybe we should go upstairs to your room.’

‘It’s fine. Everybody’s out’ Liam said breathlessly, unwilling to bring their impromptu make-out session to a premature end just when it was starting to get interesting.

More groping ensued and clothes dropped haphazardly to the floor until the two of them sat there in their boxers, staring down at each other, eyes dark with lust and mouths watering. Teenage boys and their hormones…

‘Love you’ Liam said as he moved in to devour Cody’s mouth, feeling his body reacting in all too predictable ways. 

Cody’s hand moved down his boyfriend’s chest, grazing his nipple before landing at the edge of his boxers. Liam arched his back and gasped as Cody slipped his hand inside and let out a breathless chuckle.

‘Got you’ he groaned, his voice deep. 

Not surprisingly, their lovemaking had evolved naturally since they’d first started dating in their early teens. Harmless flirting had led to chaste kisses and wayward touches as they got to know each other’s bodies, doing what came naturally to two healthy gay young men. Cody had come out early in life and had already started experimenting — as much as any fourteen-year-old could — when Liam had come into his life. He’d shown his younger boyfriend the ropes and the two of them had moved on from there, letting their instincts guide them as they explored each other’s bodies and learned to appreciate the amazing sensations they elicited in one another. 

Liam’s gasp morphed into a moan as Cody proceeded to push his boyfriend’s briefs aside, revelling in his immediate and vocal reaction.

‘Want you babe’ he murmured into his ear as he worked.

Liam paid him no mind, luxuriating in the feel of Cody’s hands on him, magic hands bringing him to the edge in record time. Something about sneaking around made it all the more exciting and dangerous, rendering the experience even more intense. His breathing accelerated, punctuated by groans and moans and grunts and Cody’s lips curled up at the sight of Liam falling apart in his arms, abandoning himself to the blissful sensations.

‘You make me crazy, you know that?’ Cody whispered in his ear as Liam whimpered, unable to keep from squirming against his hand. 

‘Shut up’ Liam moaned breathlessly. 

WCWCWC

Neal arrived first. The warehouse Mozzie had rented was a mere six blocks from the June Ellington School of Art in a rather unfashionable neighbourhood of the Bronx. Neal had chosen this particular location so he could cater to kids who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to take art classes. When he’d first come into the large inheritance left by June, he and Sara had discussed at length the best way to honour her memory and it had become obvious they needed to invest in something enduring, something that would highlight the generous, selfless person June had always been. The school was his way of giving back to the community while honouring her memory and he’d never looked back. 

The Raphael, on the other hand, served a completely different purpose. Neal had always dreamed of having a place to display his and Hope’s oeuvres d’art. With Caitlin’s arrival and her unparalleled talent for sculpting, he’d decided to dedicate the whole second floor of the gallery to the Caffrey clan, occasionally displaying some of Emily’s watercolours as well. It was a showcase that fit perfectly in the upscale Chelsea District, nestled amongst other similar galleries. He’d hoped to turn the Raphael into a lucrative business but, to be honest, it had been somewhat of a vanity project, a chance to validate himself as an artist and to show off Hope’s talents and act as a springboard for her future. 

Even though they’d been offering art classes for young and old since its inception, the gallery attracted mostly Manhattanites or well to do suburbanites who wanted to scratch their creative itches. In a world where privileged patrons fancied themselves artists, it had its place, to be sure. But the school of art was about something else altogether. It was about optimism and hope for the future, a place where kids could explore and experience a positive and creative outlet in their sometimes painful lives.

Neal threw off his jacket and took stock of the situation. The contents of the warehouse were now divided into three distinct areas: the junk pile, the sell pile and the stuff they still hadn’t had the time to get through. Hopefully, they wouldn’t get sidetracked like they had the previous week. With any luck, they might even get it all done tonight.  
Despite Mozzie’s over the top enthusiasm, Neal held out little hope that they would actually find the missing diamonds in the pile of junk left behind by Gerard Billings. For one thing, why would the guy sit on them for so long? Wouldn’t he want to take full advantage of the hidden treasure or had he been too scared of being found out by his cohorts? One thing Neal had learned over time: people did strange things and had all kinds of motivations for how they behaved.

He checked his phone for messages finding one from Sara telling him she’d decided to head out to Brooklyn to have dinner with El but nothing yet from Mozzie or Peter. He tapped out a quick message to Peter, asking him to pick up some food for the three of them and he rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

WCWCWC 

The first thing he heard was muffled voices coming from behind a nondescript door. Angry voices. Two of them. No, three. Arguing. His head throbbed and Mozzie wondered if he’d hit it or if it was a side effect of whatever the two guys who’d accosted him had injected him with. He rubbed the back of his neck distractedly as he tried to zero in on the conversation he could just barely make out. Three voices, definitely three, all speaking over each other, disagreeing about something.

He patted down his pockets, checking for his phones - all four of them were gone. Even the one he cleverly kept hidden in his sock for emergencies. Dammit. He took a few shaky steps, hanging on to the nearby wall for support and pressed his ear against the door. One of the three men was chastising the other two for having dragged them all to this place - wherever that was. 

He looked around, getting his bearings. The room was practically bare except for some boxes tucked away in a corner. No windows. Bare lightbulb. Cement flooring, walls and ceiling - a basement? He couldn’t tell for sure. He felt his head swimming and let himself slip down the wall for fear of falling. 

Outside, the voices grew louder and he heard the jiggling of the locked door.

WCWCWC

‘Why are you butting into my life?’ Ginny said as she put down her phone.

Caitlin had taken a risk dropping by uninvited and she knew it. If she was perfectly honest, she wouldn’t have reacted very favourably to such meddling when she was fourteen. Back then, she was living in her third foster home where she was tolerated more than welcome. Her foster parents fed her, put a roof over her head, collected their monthly stipend from Children’s Services and basically called it a day. She was pretty well free to roam as she pleased, skipping school, experimenting with boys, making the acquaintance of various party drugs. Then, there’d been that party where she’d gotten so wasted she’d acted impulsively and within a couple of weeks, she had found herself facing the consequences of her actions.

She recalled that cold winter day she’d hitched a ride out of state so she could resolve her ‘problem’ without her foster parents knowing about it. Sitting alone in that creepy waiting room, surrounded by other teens in the same predicament. It had been a wake-up call. Not enough for her to reform her wayward ways but certainly enough for her to realize that she was alone in the world and that she needed to watch out for herself because nobody else would. Watching Ginny as she let loose, Caitlin could see her fourteen-year-old self, bold, unafraid of consequences, thinking she knew it all. 

Now, four years later, to her astonishment, she was turning into that girl, that meddling moralizing ‘friend’, the one you tried to avoid at all costs when you were on a tear. Not that she was lily white these days, far from it. She still enjoyed giving free rein to her wild side, living on the edge, defiantly standing up to Neal and Sara at every turn. But as time passed, it was becoming increasingly less fun to defy authority and more important to fit in with the family that had opened their hearts and home to her. 

She thought of Linda Bennett, a woman she probably would have mocked a few years back. A fragile old lady who seemingly had nothing in common with her. But she’d been wrong - the two of them had plenty in common. They’d both made mistakes in their lives, Linda’s reconciliation with Neal a shining example that misdeeds could be redeemed. Maybe this was one way she could redeem herself, by sharing her limited wisdom with a young girl who, to her mind, was on a collision course with disaster. Ginny’s behaviour at school and with Logan had all the makings of a train wreck, a giant red sign flashing the words ‘TROUBLE AHEAD’.

‘I’m just here so we can finish the conversation we started the other night’ Caitlin said, the least threatening opening she could think of.

‘What conversation?’ Ginny replied as her phone sung.

She picked it up and read the incoming message, a smile on her lips as she tapped a reply. Caitlin couldn’t help but notice a second phone lying on the bedspread. She took a seat next to Ginny on the bed and picked up the other cell. 

‘Two phones?’ she said with amusement as Ginny looked at her.

‘Logan gave me this one’ she said, holding up the one in her hand. ‘It’s our… direct line to each other.’

Caitlin frowned as she took in the new information. ‘So you two are still a thing?’

Ginny jumped to her knees and excitedly bounced up and down on the bed like a five-year-old. ‘Can you keep a secret?’ 

‘Sure…’

‘I did it. I slept with him’ Ginny said with a wide smile. ‘He loves me.’

Caitlin felt a lump in her throat. The first time with a guy was a big deal although she hadn’t realized it at the time. Sadly, it hadn’t been particularly special for her.

‘But you said you’re being careful right?’

‘I told you, he got me some birth control and he wore a condom just to be sure’ Ginny explained unabashedly.

Caitlin nodded, trying not to overreact. It wasn’t the fact that Ginny had lost her virginity so much as who she’d chosen to give herself to. She’d heard rumours about Logan Parrish ever since she’d started attending his parties: he liked to zero in on young inexperienced girls. She’d always wondered what his true motives were.

‘You know Ginny, Logan’s had tons of girlfriends since I’ve known him.’

Ginny’s eyes darkened in defiance. ‘You don’t know anything about him. I told you he loves me.’

She was walking a tightrope and Caitlin knew it. If she came across as moralistic, the delicate connection would be broken and Ginny would shut her down completely. 

‘So are you seeing him again?’

Ginny jiggled the phone. ‘I’m skipping school and he’s picking me up after lunch tomorrow and taking me to his place… our special place’ she said with a sparkle in her eye.

She glanced towards her bedroom door as if worried someone might walk in on them and she reached under her bed, pulling out a large box.

‘Look what he got me’ she said as she pulled out a couple of what could most politely be described as revealing… outfits. 

Caitlin had seen similar choice garments on the girls who hung around certain street corners not far from the school of art. Provocative clothes meant to titillate. She did her best to cover up her concern.

‘Do your moms know you’re seeing this guy?’ she asked, instantly regretting her words.

Ginny’s face darkened in anger. ‘I don’t know what you’re doing here Caitlin. Pretending to be my friend.’

‘I am… I am your friend Ginny. And I don’t want to see you get hurt.’

‘You’re just jealous’ Ginny barked back viciously. ‘I know you think Logan’s cute… everybody does.’

The phone beeped again announcing a new text and her eyes moved to the screen as Caitlin sat there, unsure of what to say. She’d opened her mouth to speak when Ginny spoke up, eyes cloudy.

‘Just take your stupid books and get out of here. I don’t need anything from you. Just go!’

Caitlin exhaled and stood. It seemed she’d struck out. At least for now. She collected her things and walked towards the door where she stopped and turned to look at the young teen.

‘I really do care what happens to you Ginny’ she said.

But Ginny’s eyes were glued to her phone and as Caitlin stepped out, she didn’t even bother to look up.

WCWCWC

Mozzie was just about to get to his feet when the locked door flew open and a big bully of a man stood there, glaring at him. It was neither of the two men who had accosted him on the street. Obviously the third guy, the one who sounded so annoyed.

‘Get up!’ he ordered gruffly. ‘It’s time for you to make a phone call.’

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

It was still light outside when Caitlin entered the Blue Skies Nursing Home. And yet, dinner was all wrapped up and most of the residents were already in their rooms, changing into their night clothes, brushing their teeth, preparing for the long night ahead. For many, this was the worst time of day, the moment when the loneliness finally caught up to them. After a busy day of activities, make-work art projects, singalongs by the piano and visits from loved ones, the residents were once again left on their own to face the darkness.

‘Hi Caitlin!’ called out one of the attendants as the teenager waltzed into the common area.

She was a regular visitor, showing up at odd times of the day or night and the staff knew that resident Linda Bennett was all the better for her granddaughter’s frequent visits.

‘She’s in her room’ the woman added.

Caitlin waved in reply and made her way down the long hallway to the second last room on the left. She stopped short in the open doorway, catching sight of her beloved grandmother struggling to get up from her chair. She was already wearing a nightie, slippers on her delicate feet. Caitlin’s instinct was to rush in and help but something held her back and instead, she stood in the doorway, watching silently. Like her son, Linda Bennett was fiercely independent and the last thing Caitlin wanted to do was embarrass her. Instead, she stood in the shadows as Linda grabbed on to the railing lining the wall of her room and took the few steps towards the washroom, closing the door behind her.

Caitlin let out a loud sigh. It was hard to watch her grandmother struggle but for now, there were things she could still do for herself and the young woman had the good sense to leave her with her pride intact. 

When Linda stepped out, moments later, Caitlin was settled in the big chair next to her bed with a wide grin on her face.

‘Surprise!’ she called out as she sprung to her feet, ready to help if needed.

‘Caitlin! This is a nice surprise’ Linda replied with a tired smile.

Caitlin stood, wrapping her arms around the older woman - a pretext to slip her arm under her elbow and guide her back into the room.

‘Chair or bed?’ she asked.

‘Bed’ Linda replied. ‘You take the chair.’

Caitlin nodded and guided Linda to the edge of the bed where she threw back the covers and helped the woman take off her slippers. 

‘What’s wrong sweetheart?’ Linda asked once she was settled upright in the bed.

‘Nothing. Why?’

Linda tilted her head and Caitlin was reminded of her foster dad - the familiar way he tilted his head to one side when he didn’t believe a word she was saying.

‘Just felt like chatting. I was over at Diana and Christie’s place not too far from here.’

‘That’s not your usual hangout.’

‘No… no it’s not. I wanted to drop in on Ginny.’

‘Ginny… that’s the younger one, right?’ Linda asked in clarification. Although she’d met the Berrigan girls on a few occasion, she was suddenly unsure.

‘Yeah. She’s… she’s going through some stuff and I’ve been trying to help her.’

Linda smiled. It wasn’t long ago Caitlin’s world was all about Caitlin. She’d made giant strides since she’d moved in with the Caffreys three years ago. Although the progress was slow and uneven, she was nowhere near the self-centered, reckless young teen she’d been when she’d descended on them like a nuclear bomb. 

‘She asked for your help with schoolwork?’

Caitlin got up from the chair, choosing instead to perch herself on the edge of the bed. Linda was so tiny, she barely took up half the space on the single mattress.

‘No, not school work. And no, she didn’t ask. I just kind of barged in and… Grandma, she’s getting in with the wrong people and I’m afraid she’s going to get hurt.’

Linda frowned as she listened. ‘Did you talk to Neal about it?’

Caitlin nodded. ‘Yeah, but I don’t want him to rat her out to her parents. She’ll never trust me again if she finds out I’ve been telling him what’s going on.’

‘Well, what is going on?’

‘Like I said, trouble. She’s skipping school, hanging out with an older guy, partying.’ 

‘And you know this because…’

Caitlin looked away, slightly embarrassed. ‘Because I go to those same parties sometimes and I see what’s going on. There’s plenty of booze and drugs and… Grandma, she’s only fourteen.’

Linda nodded. If she didn’t know better, Caitlin could have been describing her younger self. Had she even realized that yet?

‘I thought if I confided in her, told her about the stuff I’ve seen, the stuff I’ve been through… that it might make her think twice.’

‘And?’

Caitlin exhaled and stood, suddenly agitated. ‘I bombed… it was like talking to the wall. She accused me of being jealous of the guy she’s seeing. Grandma, he’s like ten years older than her and he has a reputation. I think he’s mixed up somehow in grooming girls.’

‘What’s grooming?’ Linda had never heard the expression.

‘You know… turning girls against their parents, getting them hooked on drugs, pimping them out, making money off them.’

‘Honey, that’s a serious accusation.’

‘I know… and I have no proof but this girl he was dating last year, she was young too and after a while, she disappeared. She left a note for her parents telling them to leave her alone and now nobody’s seen her in months. People say she ran away but… I don’t know.’

Linda lifted her arm in invitation and Caitlin moved in closer, tucking herself into a little ball against her grandmother’s fragile frame.

‘Would you have listened if someone had tried to warn you about your risky behaviour when you were fourteen?’

Caitlin pulled away and looked up into the warm baby blue eyes. ‘No… I wouldn’t’ she admitted sadly. ‘But I can’t just ignore it either.’

‘So what are you going to do?’

‘I’m going to keep an eye on her. Try to hang around a little more if she lets me. Maybe I can tell her about… you know, what happened to me.’

‘You mean your abortion?’

‘It was scary and I was all alone. I don’t want her getting into a situation she can’t get herself out of.’

‘What about her parents?’

‘Diana and Christie? They’re wonderful but believe me, there are so many tricks you can pull on your parents. I could teach a masterclass.’

Linda pulled her into her, running her hand down her long blond hair. ‘Oh honey, you’re smart. You’ll find a way. Just make sure Neal and Sara know what’s going on. And I’m always here to listen.’

She kissed the top of her head as Caitlin purred. ‘Just remember, you’re not alone anymore.’

WCWCWC 

Neal wiped the sweat from his forehead. The filing cabinet he’d been trying to move was way too heavy for one man. He settled for turning it outwards so he could reach the front and prepared to pull out the first drawer. He wasn’t terribly surprised to find it locked. Luckily, he had his trusty lock pick set on him - a longstanding habit he’d never managed to break. He got to work, choosing the proper tools and jiggling the lock until he felt it give under his expert touch. Of course, a crowbar would have worked just as well but where was the fun in that?

He smiled, feeling rather smug; he still had the ‘touch’.

He found files and loose papers stuffed inside and grabbed an armful, settling on the floor to begin checking through everything. Hard to believe that even thieves like Billings had boring, ordinary aspects to their lives. He leafed through a stack of tax returns, old bills, mortgage papers on several properties and sundry other run of the mill paper work. There was a stack of about twelve passports with various names and birth dates but all with the same old ugly mug. Most of them were expired - mostly American issued except for a couple from West European countries. To his discriminating eye, the work looked sub-standard — maybe enough to fool the common man but certainly not someone the likes of Neal Caffrey. He noticed a typo in the word ‘Netharlands’ and chuckled silently. Amateur hour.

He grew serious as he threw the passport aside. If his life hadn’t taken the turn it had, this might be his storage locker, full of ‘junk’ — with nothing that makes a life worth living. 

He felt his stomach rumble and checked the time. Where the hell was Mozzie? They were doing this for him, after all. He sent another text, asking for an ETA and had just returned to the task when he heard the door to the warehouse open.

‘Hey, sorry I’m late’ came Peter’s voice. ‘You should have seen the line-up at Blue Collar.’

Neal looked up, seeing the tell-tale bags from one of Peter’s favourite burger joints. ‘You detoured all the way to Brooklyn for burgers?’ he asked, incredulous.

To be honest, fast food wasn’t really his thing but Peter was kept on a short leash and the moment El had her back turn, he’d gravitate to his favourite burger place like a dog in heat who’d just spotted a cute little poodle prancing down the street.

‘You said to pick up what I wanted’ he said, dismissing Neal’s comment and setting the food down on top of an old dresser.

He looked around the room and frowned. ‘Where the hell’s Mozzie? I got him the lactose free cheeseburger he likes.’

Neal stood and began unpacking the goods; he was starved and even a burger would do. ‘I have no idea. I’ve been texting him for the past hour.’

Peter shrugged. ‘Well, you know Mozzie, always needing to make an entrance’ he said as he grabbed for the blanket they’d used the last time they’d been there.

Neal popped an onion ring in his mouth. ‘I’m gonna regret this later’ he mumbled.

He carried the paper bag over to their make-shift picnic blanket and pulled out the remainder of the food. It smelled heavenly.

‘So, what’s all that?’ Peter asked, mouth full as he pointed to the mountain of papers strewn around.

‘Just… you know, boring old paperwork as far as I can tell.’

Peter moaned in appreciation as he dove in for another huge bite of his double bacon cheeseburger.

‘You know, I think Mozzie’s got it wrong’ Neal opined as he ate. ‘The more I think of it… why would the guy leave millions of dollars of uncut diamonds in a storage unit for all these years. What kind of thief can resist cashing in on his winnings?'

‘Speaking from experience?’ Peter asked glibly.

Neal gave him a death stare. ‘When Moz and I had Adler’s treasure, we would spend most of our time talking about it or checking on it on the treasure cam.’

‘Treasure cam?’ Peter said with a frown.

Neal smiled wistfully as he recalled the long forgotten fiasco. ‘Just… a cute little name we gave the feed.’

Peter shook his head in disbelief and mumbled under his breath. ‘You gotta be kidding.’ 

‘The point is we only had it for a few weeks and we were itching to unload it. The allure was… almost impossible to resist.’

‘Oh yeah? How’d you manage?’

‘Well, knowing you had part of the u-boat manifest and were on the lookout for anything that popped up was a good deterrent’ Neal said with what almost sounded like regret.

‘Maybe the guy pawned a few diamonds at a time so he wouldn’t attract too much attention to his newfound wealth.’

Neal’s eyebrows rose as he considered the possibility. ‘I suppose…’

‘Anyway, you know as well as I do that Mozzie isn’t going to let this thing go until we’ve combed through every single inch of this stuff.’

Neal shrugged. Peter rubbed his hands together in glee. ‘Come on, admit it! This is fun, poking around this stuff, hanging together…’

‘Sure Peter’ Neal replied deadpan as his phone rang.

He looked down at the screen. ‘Finally!’

‘Moz’ he said into the phone. ‘Where the hell are you?’

The voice on the other end was about an octave too high to be Mozzie.

‘Houston…’ he said, ‘we have a problem.’ 

WCWCWC

Ginny yawned as she and Logan lay sprawled out on the couch. He was buck naked and she was wearing another one his many gifts, a see-through black lace crotchless teddy. Her breasts spilled over the top edge of the garment, exposing her nipples and making Ginny feel self-conscious and sexy at the same time.

The porn flic they’d been watching was much more hard core than the stuff they’d watched the last time and intermittently, they would pause and he’d challenge her to replicate what they’d been watching on the screen. Luckily, he’d taken a little blue pill - essential if he wanted to stay the course. They were both feeling mellow from the shots they’d been throwing back and the molly he’d given her had kicked in, making her feel both confident and compliant. He had Rohypnol at the ready - an insurance policy in case she resisted - but he preferred not to use it. After all, the well known date rape drug was known to impair memory and he needed her to remember those fancy moves he was teaching her. They would be coming in handy in the very near future.

‘What’s the matter baby?’ he asked as he ran his fingers languidly up the inside of her thigh. ‘Bored?’

She shivered against his touch. ‘No, just tired’ she replied with a nervous giggle.

He rubbed himself sluggishly and stared into her dark eyes. 

‘You want to try that one?’ he asked, pointing to the TV monitor. The manoeuvre playing out on the screen was more daring than anything Ginny’s fourteen-year-old mind had ever even imagined. Seemed there were multiple ways to please a man. She nodded shyly and bit her lip. 

‘Would you like it if I did that to you?’ she asked provocatively, suddenly looking even younger and more innocent than her age. If this was going to make Logan happy, she was all for it.

Logan lay back and watched her take her position on the floor between his legs. She was a quick learner, another of the all important qualities he was searching for. Seemed Miss Virginia Berrigan had it all. 

‘Mmmm’ he moaned. ‘That’s it baby. Don’t be afraid to use your mouth. It won’t bite.’ 

She got to work, mimicking what she’d just seen as he coached her, telling her how to use her mouth, her hands, her body. She was game for just about anything and he realized he would miss her once he finished up her training. He placed his hand on the top her head, rhythmically pushing down as he caressed her thick head of hair.

‘That’s good’ he murmured as his eyes drifted shut. 

After all, there was no reason he couldn’t enjoy himself while he worked.

WCWCWC

Sara let her end of the couch drop with a thud and grabbed her back. 

‘Ouch!’ she cried out.

‘You okay?’ El asked, rushing to her aid.

‘I hope I didn’t scuff the floor’ Sara said, checking the hardwood at her feet.

‘Never mind the floor. Here, sit. I think we need a break anyway.’

The women glanced around the room at the mess they’d made and broke into laughter. What had started as a search for the perfect spot for the Tiffany lamp had turned into a complete room makeover. 

‘What have we done?’ Sara said with a chuckle.

‘I don’t know’ El replied, amused. ‘I guess we got a little carried away.’

Amongst the clutter they’d created, Elizabeth reached for the half empty bottle of Pinot that lay nearby - their second one of the night.

‘Here, have some wine’ she said, handing her best friend a full glass.

The women glanced around the room. Not a single piece of furniture was where it had been at the start of the evening. 

‘I’ve been wanting to move stuff around this room for a while, I just didn’t think I’d do all this just so I could find the right place for a lamp.'

Sara examined the room from the new vantage point. ‘I still think if we clear that shelf, the tall one… the lamp would look gorgeous there.’

El squinted as she stared at the bookcase. ‘You know, I think you’re right.’ 

They sipped in silence as they mulled over their options. 

‘El…’ Sara said, suddenly pensive. ‘I’d like it if you came to court next week.’

Elizabeth smiled.

‘The more friendly faces when I sit there to testify, the better.’

‘So you actually have to give testimony?’

Sara nodded. ‘I gave a written testimony a while back but some judges like to hear it for themselves.’

‘Is he going to be there?’

‘Yeah…’ Sara said, her voice quiet. ‘He’s entitled to face his accuser even though he’s currently serving twenty years for crimes against the state.’

‘No jury though, right?’

‘No, no. Just the judge, Mindy will be there. He’ll have his state appointed defence attorney although they’re not mounting much of a defence. There was a lot of evidence against him.’

Elizabeth picked up on the sadness in Sara’s eyes and reached out to touch her arm.

‘I hate…’ Sara said, hesitating. ‘I hate that Neal has to hear it all over again. He really struggled after it all happened. In therapy, he talked about his anger, his frustration. Back then, I think he was afraid I would never get over it.’

‘But you did…’

Sara nodded. ‘Enough to function and have my life back but there are still moments when… if everybody’s out of the house, I still can’t stand the quiet. I’ll turn on some music just for the noise, talk to Raffie… Do you know that for the first few months, I couldn’t sleep with the lights out? Even with Neal beside me… I used to wake up and if he wasn’t there, I would totally panic.’ 

Elizabeth listened attentively. It was obvious Sara needed to unload.

‘And our sex life…’ she continued, seemingly in a daze. ‘I was petrified I wouldn’t be able to enjoy sex ever again. I would look into Neal’s eyes and see that monster… or hear his voice…’

She closed her eyes for a second and then, as fast as the memories had appeared, they evaporated. She took another fortifying sip of her wine and stood, determined to focus on something else. 

‘Come on’ she said, suddenly brimming with confidence. ‘Let’s leave everything as it is and just try moving that lamp.’

El rose and followed her into the dining room where the beautiful lamp still sat on the sideboard awaiting its new spot in the Burke living room. Sara picked it up, surprised at how heavy it was. It almost slipped from her hand as she did her best to keep it upright.

‘Oh shit!’ she cried out as they heard the sound of metal rattling. ‘Did I break it?’

The women set it down on the table and examined it, finding nothing amiss. ‘It looks fine’ El said as she picked it up and heard the faint sound once more. 

She grabbed onto it with both hands and gave it a firm shake as the rattling intensified.

‘It sounds like it’s coming from the base’ Sara said, leaning in to listen.

‘Maybe a screw came loose and fell in’ Elizabeth said, lying it down on its side to get a better look.

‘Here, hold it’ she said to Sara.

The bottom of the lamp’s base was covered in dark green felt, smooth to the touch. Elizabeth ran her finger alongside the edge, noticing the felt curled up in one spot, as if it had been peeled back and glued back on. The women glanced at each other, curious. 

El used a manicured fingernail, slipping it under the edge of the felt and working it in order to see what was underneath. The felt resisted but she persisted, slipping her finger in the opening she’d created and tugging back the piece of material. The opening grew enough for her to slip in a couple of fingers and feel around. Finding nothing, she leaned the lamp towards the newly created opening, feeling something move inside.

‘There’s something in here’ she said, tugging gently.

She gave a gentle shake and watched in wonder as a small bag spilled out onto the table, a snack size plastic baggie with dozens of pieces of cut glass inside. 

Only it wasn’t glass at all.

They stared at each other, mouths agape.

Elizabeth let out a small gasp. ‘Looks like Mozzie might have been on to something after all.’ 

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

‘What if we can’t find them?’ Peter muttered as they worked frantically.

Neal shook his head as he emptied out a box of knick-knacks. ‘Let’s not think about that right now.’

There was still a fair bit of stuff to search through although the pile of junk had decreased considerably. They’d been at it for two hours and still… no sign of any diamonds - or anything else of value.

‘It’s gotta be Billings’ cronies, right?’ Peter said. ‘Who else would even know about the diamonds?’ 

He looked over at Neal. ‘And here I was, gearing up to lecture Mozzie about doing the right thing and returning them to the police.’

Neal glanced around the room at the mess they were creating. ‘Well, we haven’t found them yet and to be honest, I’m not even sure they’re here.’

‘Do you think those guys who took Mozzie know something we don’t know?’

Neal dropped what he was doing to look at his best friend. ‘I don’t know but I’m worried about what they’ll do to him if we don’t find them.’

‘How did he sound?’

‘A little on the shrill side. You know Moz… if he accidentally locks himself in the bathroom, he has an aneurism. I hate to think of what will happen if he’s confined to some dark dingy room for more than five minutes.’

Peter felt his phone vibrating in his back pocket. He ignored it and kept working. They didn’t have any time to waste.

‘Could we… maybe try to hand over something else? I don’t know, cut glass or something.’

Neal picked up on the implication. In his past life, he’d been a pro at passing things off for something they weren’t. 

‘I was a forger Peter…’ he said deadpan. ‘…I never quite figured out how to conjure up diamonds out of thin air.’

‘Maybe… some cubic zirconias or something…’

Neal scoffed and looked at his watch. ‘Unless you expect me to break into a jewelry store at this hour of the night, it’s a little late to go shopping.’

His phone vibrated and he glanced at the screen. Sara. He tucked his phone back in his pocket and resumed his search. 

‘Just keep looking. The faster we get through this stuff, the faster we can get Moz out of there.’

WCWCWC

After he’d been let out of the basement to make his call, Mozzie was able to get his bearings. They were in a house, a very nice high-end suburban home although he had no idea whether or not they were still in the Bronx. The big burly guy who’d dragged him up the stairs had brought him into a fully loaded game room complete with a wet bar, an air hockey game, a poker table and an eighty-inch TV. There was a boxing match playing on the tube and the two thugs who’d abducted him watched distractedly as they played cards on the game table. He was about to be carted back down to the basement by Big Burly Guy when he glanced down at the card game.

‘Are you playing crazy pineapple!?’ he asked excitedly as the two men looked up from their poker game. ‘That’s a lost art… and an acquired taste.’

One of the men smiled, impressed by the fact that their ‘guest’ knew about the obscure poker game he favoured. ‘You know how to play crazy pineapple?’

‘Of course’ Mozzie replied. ‘It’s my favourite variation on the sometimes rather vulgar game. Far be it from me to brag but I won a tournament in Frankfurt a few years back.’

‘Germany?’ the other poker player asked.

Mozzie gloated. ‘I was there with an associate doing… some business and we came across a, shall we say, ‘clandestine’ game in this not so desirable part of town down by the train station. Sixteen people around the table… I was the only one left standing.' 

The man holding Mozzie’s arm was squeezing now, eager to get him back to his hiding place in the basement but Mozzie seemed to have captured the attention of the other two thugs.

‘Not a lot of people know how to play’ Thug number one said. ‘Like you said, it’s a lost art.’

Mozzie inched his way over, glancing at the man’s hand. He was about to discard his ten of hearts but Mozzie coughed to get his attention and wagged his eyebrows in warning. The hand holding his arm loosened somewhat. 

‘Why don’t we let him play’ Thug number two said. ‘See if he’s as good as he says.’

Mozzie’s face brightened. Playing a game of crazy pineapple while you were being held captive sounded like a lot more fun than sitting in a cold basement with a bare lightbulb swinging over your head and your hands tied behind your back.

‘Come on Stan, what harm can it do?’ Thug number two said, dollar signs dancing in his head. ‘There’s three of us and one of him and to be honest…’ 

He looked Mozzie up and down and patted his gun. ‘He doesn’t look like much of a threat to me.’ 

The large man who’d been holding his arm suddenly looked a lot less threatening than he’d seemed just ten minutes before. 

‘You got cash on you?’ he asked Mozzie.

‘I’ve got something better than cash’ Mozzie replied mysteriously.

Stan hesitated for a moment, then pulled up another chair. Mozzie moved immediately to take a seat. He rubbed his hands in anticipation. 

‘All right gentlemen’ he said, ‘whose turn is it to deal?’

WCWCWC

Sara stared down at her phone. ‘He’s not answering.’ She typed in a text and put her phone down, returning to her glass of wine.

‘Neither is Peter. Where exactly is this place Mozzie rented?’ El asked.

‘I don’t know. Neal said it was in the Bronx, six blocks or so from the school.’ 

‘Well, we can’t exactly go wandering around looking for some hidden warehouse, can we?’ El said with a frustrated sigh.

‘That’d be silly, right?’ came Sara’s reply. ‘I mean…’

She picked up the handful of diamonds and examined them for the umpteenth time.

‘How much do you think they’re worth?’

‘I’d have to have them appraised’ Sara replied. ‘But at first blush, several million.’

‘Several million dollars?’ El shrieked.

‘No, tomatoes’ Sara replied in her usual acerbic tone.

She returned her gaze to the diamonds. ‘These are raw, uncut… The guys who stole these really knew what they were doing.’ 

She grew restless. ‘How many warehouses can there be within six blocks of the school of art?’ she asked, not expecting an answer. ‘Maybe we could go down there, walk around, hope they call back in the meantime.’

It was the dumbest idea ever. But neither one of them had realized it yet.

WCWCWC

The car stopped two blocks from its destination.

‘You’ve been awfully quiet’ Logan said. ‘You all right?’

In the seat beside him, Ginny sat, looking wrecked. ‘I’m exhausted…’

He reached over and ran his hand through her hair. ‘Was all that too much for you, baby girl?’

She could see a glimmer in his eye; he’d been pleased with her. ‘No… no it wasn’t. It was fun. But I think I might have overdone it on the shooters, I feel queasy.’

‘Sorry babe’ he commented as he reached for her hand. ‘I should have slowed you down. You going to be okay to face your moms?’

She shrugged. ‘I guess. All I want to do is lie down. I’ll try to sneak in so they don’t see me.’

‘Here, take this’ he said, handing her a small pill. ‘It’s a miracle drug. It’ll pick you right up and make you feel better.'

She looked into his eyes, those gorgeous seas of deep blue and she took it from him, throwing it back and chasing it with a sip of water.

Logan chuckled. ‘You know, you’re going to have to grow a thicker skin if you want to be a successful party girl’ he commented.

When she didn’t reply, he leaned over and began nibbling on her ear as Ginny giggled. ‘You want to go again this weekend?’ he asked.

Her eyes were droopy, her skin damp - too much of everything he suspected. She nodded all the same. Maybe he needed to slow things down a little. He had her right where he wanted her and he didn’t want her slipping away when he was so close. 

‘You… are amazing, you know that?’ he said.

She perked up in response to his words of praise. ‘Now, go before you get into trouble. Keep your phone on you, okay. I’ll call you later.’

Ginny sighed and stepped out of the car, noticing she’d put her school uniform back on inside out. Logan chuckled at the sight and he winked, making everything better. 

WCWCWC

Diana was relieved that the message was automated - that way no one heard her swear into the phone like a drunken sailor. Christie, on the other hand, heard every single word and she looked up from the book she’d been reading to see what had gotten her wife so riled up.

‘I’m going to kill her’ Diana said, between gritted teeth. She punched in a number and resumed the cursing. ‘Of course, she’s not answering. Why the hell did we buy her a phone if she’s going to ignore it every time we call.’

Christie had abandoned her book and was standing beside her with a puzzled look. ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s going on?’

Diana was searching her phone, ostensibly for a phone number. ‘That was the school. Ginny didn’t show up for her last two periods this afternoon.’

‘What do you mean? She called at four and said she was going over to Hannah’s to study.’

Diana just glared at her. ‘Well my guess is, she was lying.’

The ringing in her ear stopped followed by a female voice. ‘Mrs. Wilson, this is Diana Berrigan, Ginny’s mom. Could I speak to her please?’ she said into the phone.

Christie watched as Diana’s complexion went from red to crimson, steam practically shooting out of her ears. ‘She’s not?’ she heard Diana say. 

‘What about Hannah? Is she home?… Great, thanks…’

The women stared at each other in silence as Ginny’s best friend was beckoned to the phone. 

‘Hannah, it’s Ginny’s mom. Did you see her after school today?’

There was uncomfortable silence at the other end. ‘Hannah?… Look, I know she skipped out on her last two classes… When was the last time you saw her?… Did she tell you if she had any plans after school?… Look if she gets in touch, can you ask her to call home?’

Diana ended the call and stood there, seething.

‘What did she say?’ 

‘She saw her at lunch and Ginny said she was meeting a friend after school.’

‘A friend?’

Diana surprised her wife by shouting unexpectedly. ‘Olivia! Get in here!’

‘Babe, you need to take a breath or you’re going to blow a gasket’ Christie said, hand on her arm.

Diana looked into her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘She’s playing us Christie. She’s probably out there with some boy doing God knows what.’

Christie coaxed her into sitting down. ‘Let’s get the facts first okay?’ she suggested as Olivia appeared.

‘Where’s your sister?’ Diana blurted out. So much for keeping her cool.

Olivia stared back and forth at her moms. ‘I don’t know… I’m not her keeper.’

‘No, but you two talk’ Christie said, trying to remain focussed. ‘She’s not where she’s supposed to be. Do you know where she is?’

Olivia shook her head but looked away. Diana had interviewed enough criminals to know when someone wasn’t telling the truth. The inability to look straight into someone’s eyes was a giant tell. The only exception to the rule she’d ever met was Neal Caffrey and even he wasn’t as skilled at carrying out the feat these days.

‘Sit down’ she ordered. Olivia immediately obeyed, taking a seat between her two moms. 

‘Honey, we’re trying to figure out what’s going on with your sister’ Christie began, intent on keeping things from blowing up. ‘We’re worried about her. She hasn’t been herself lately.’

The teen nodded. ‘She’s… she’s been out partying and stuff.’

‘Does she have a boyfriend?’ Diana asked, her voice shrill.

Olivia hedged her bets. ‘I don’t know… maybe.’

The women exchanged looks.

‘Honey, she’s fourteen… of course she’s interested in boys’ Christie said as she attempted to mollify her wife.

Diana’s gaze broke away, eyes back on her eldest daughter. ‘Look, I know you two are close… but if you know what’s going on with your sister, you need to tell us.’

Olivia sighed. She’d been sharing secrets with her sister since they were little girls, covering for each other, taking pleasure in sneaking around their mothers’ backs. But those had been harmless pranks, little girl things and most of the time, she figured her moms knew what was going on anyway. Breaking a confidence was a big deal. Ginny had covered for her when she’d gone to see that R rated movie at the cineplex a few weeks back and when she’d bald faced lied to her moms about it, Ginny had backed her up. But still, she had concerns of her own when it came to her baby sister, maybe it would help to share the load with her moms.

‘I think she might be seeing this boy…’ Olivia finally said. ‘But I don’t know anything about him. She met him at a party.’

The sound of the back door was heard slamming in the distance and Diana led the charge, following the sound into the kitchen with Christie close behind. Olivia, on the other hand, headed down the hall back to her room. She had no interest in being around to witness her parents lambasting her sister.

‘Ginny!’ Diana called out as she turned the corner and caught sight of her daughter looking disheveled and unsteady on her feet. Her eyes were glazed, her hair tousled and… was her skirt on inside out?

‘Where have you been? You look like hell.’

Ginny looked from one mom to the other. ‘I…told you I was over at Hannah’s studying.’

Christie could feel her blood pressure rising. After giving her a pass on her drunken night of partying a few weeks back, her daughter had proceeded to lie to them and now, she was doing it again.

‘Mom called over there’ she said as Ginny’s face dropped.

‘And I tried calling your phone’ Diana added. 

Ginny did her best to look surprised. ‘I guess I forgot to turn it on’ she said sheepishly.

‘Give it to me’ Diana said, her hand out.

‘What?’

‘Your phone, hand it over.’

‘But…’

‘No buts!’ 

Ginny reached into her purse, bypassing the one Logan had given her and handing over her phone. 

‘Now, go to your room. We’ll be in to talk to you in a minute’ Diana said, arms crossed.

Grateful for the short reprieve, Ginny headed down to her room as her moms glared at the back of her.

‘I told you’ Diana said to her wife, her voice resonating. ‘She’s been playing us.'

‘Sit’ Christie ordered, taking charge. She reached for Diana’s arm and coaxed her to take a seat at the kitchen table.

‘First of all, you need to calm down’ she began as Diana took a deep breath. ‘If we go in there with guns blazing, we’re only going to make things worse.’

‘Did you see her face? She’s been drinking… or something.’

Christie nodded. ‘There’s something you need to know and I need you to promise to stay calm.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Honey, look at me. If we want to go in there with any kind of authority, we need to be focussed. Both of us.’

‘All right… I’m calm.’

‘Here’s what we know. Ginny’s been lying to us. She’s been going to parties when she was supposed to be over at Hannah’s.’

She took a deep breath. ‘You know when we had everybody over for dinner a few weeks back?’

Diana nodded.

‘When I went to pick her up at Hannah’s, she wasn’t there. Hannah told me the two of them had been at a party and Ginny didn’t want to leave. When she finally showed up…’ she slowed, watching her wife’s reaction. ‘She was drunk.’ 

Diana opened her mouth to speak and Christie placed her hand on hers, urging her to listen. 

‘I mean, throwing up drunk. I read her the riot act and I told her that if she got herself straightened out, I… I wouldn’t tell you about it.’

‘Thanks’ Diana said, voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘That’s great parenting, by the way.’

‘You were working the Worthington case and you were stressed out. I thought I could handle it. Look, I agree, things are getting out of hand but you know as well as I do that the harder we push, the harder she’ll push back.’

‘What does that mean? We let her run around doing whatever she wants.’

‘No, of course not. But we’re not going to get anywhere if we go in there and have a yelling match.’

Diana seemed calmer somehow. She exhaled and nodded. ‘Agreed. But we can’t let her keep going like this. There have to be consequences.’

Christie pointed to the phone in her wife’s hands. ‘For starters, let’s take her phone away for now. She can’t be plotting to go to parties with her friends without that thing.’

‘I think we should ground her. Two weeks, school and home, that’s it. No after school activities. If she wants to study with Hannah, they can do it over here.’

Christie considered what Diana had said. ‘One’ she bargained.

Diana scowled in reply. 

‘Let’s start with one and see if she settles… okay?’ Christie said.

‘Fine’ Diana reluctantly agreed. ‘But NO exceptions!

‘No exceptions’ Christie repeated.

They joined hands and headed down the hall, intent on reining in their wild child.

WCWCWC

Two calls, another glass of wine and several texts later, the women were growing increasingly frustrated. They hadn’t managed to reach their husbands, yet they knew the two of them - and particularly Mozzie - would be more than mildly interested in their little discovery. 

If, as the saying went, the mountain couldn’t come to Muhammad, perhaps Muhammad needed to go to the mountain. Emboldened by the two bottles they’d already consumed, the hare-brained idea of hopping into a cab and heading out to the Bronx was slowly gaining momentum. Anything was better than sitting around waiting for the men to finally clue in and pick up their phones. 

They tried to talk each other out of the crazy scheme but as the wine drained from their glasses, the tides seemed to turn and they ended up talking each other into it instead. Elizabeth grabbed her purse and tucked the baggie full of diamonds in the bottom as they prepared to head out on a foolhardy search for their husbands. 

Once they were out in the fresh air, the booze seemed to really kick in and after settling in for the twenty minute ride, they realized they were perhaps a little too well lubricated to be heading out on such a mission. 

Through their alcohol fuelled haze, they decided the best thing to do was to get dropped off at the school of art, since Neal had mentioned it was a six block walk over to the unknown location Mozzie had rented. The school was located in an old church on Prentiss Street in a less than stellar part of town. Of course, this location had been totally intentional on Neal’s part, determined as he was to be close to the neighbourhoods where they could do the most good. 

As the cab slowed, the little man in the front seat turned to face them. ‘Are you sure you want to be dropped off here ladies?’ he asked. ‘This is a pretty rough part of town - especially at night.’

Elizabeth giggled as she toyed with the idea of paying the cab driver with one of the diamonds. ‘We’ll be fine’ she said, ‘we know where we’re going.’ 

When she stepped out of the cab, she found Sara peeking into the store front of the school of art. The lobby lights had been left on as they always were but there didn’t appear to be much movement inside, considering it was ten o’clock on a weeknight. 

‘There are some stores and restaurants over that way’ Sara explained, teetering on her four-inch heels. ‘I say we start walking down this way instead and see what we can find’ she added, pointing in the other direction. 

El slipped her arm in hers as they ambled a little unsteadily down the street, no longer so sure they’d done the right thing. The next block down seemed even more deserted except for a couple of ladies of the night on the street corner. Surprisingly, there was a fair amount of car traffic - slow, predatory as the cars slowed in front of the women, checking them out.

‘What the hell possessed me to wear heels’ Sara complained as she slipped off her shoes and started shuffling down the street with a slight limp.

‘Anything from Neal?’ El asked as she glanced at her phone.

‘Nope’ Sara said, checking hers for messages. ‘Look, those could be warehouses’ she said, slowing down in front of some corrugated metal doors.’

‘Bitches! What the hell you doin’ here’ came an angry female voice. 

They turned to find a woman dressed in ‘leather’ from head to toe, hip high boots, micro mini-skirt, bustier. ‘This is my corner, has been for two years. Now skedaddle before I call Spanky and tell him you’re trying to horn in on his territory.’

Spanky? Sara chuckled. ‘No, you’ve got this all wrong. We’re looking for a warehouse…’

The woman put her hands on her hips and glared. ‘A warehouse? That’s a new one honey. Now move on!’

El and Sara looked at each other, trying to keep from laughing. That someone might mistake them for hookers was laughable. They carried on and slowed once again in the middle of the next block as they came upon a plain metal door. They gave the door handle a shake. Nothing.

They turned to find a car had slowed down next to them. ‘Evening ladies’ the lone driver called out.

El exchanged looks with Sara and stepped closer to the car, leaning into the open passenger’s window.

‘Good evening sir’ she said it her most polite voice. ‘Do you know this area?’

The man nodded. ‘Sure!’ he replied with a wide grin. ‘Why? Do you need a lift? I can take you anywhere you want to go.’

El glanced nervously in Sara’s direction. ‘No… thanks. I was just wondering, do you know anything about warehouses around here?’

‘Warehouses?’ he said with an exaggerated wink. ‘Geez baby, I’m not sure but why don’t you climb in and we’ll drive around and see if we can find one.’

Elizabeth stepped away from the car. ‘Dead end’ she told Sara as the driver gave up and drove away.

‘This is crazy’ Sara moaned as they continued down the main street. ‘What are we doing out here walking the streets like a couple of… hookers.’

They’d barely taken another few steps when a second car slowed and a man leaned out, his motives clear. 

‘Well hello’ he called out lewdly. ‘Now what are two nice looking girls like you doing out here? Why don’t you climb in and we can go for a little ride?’

This time, El was annoyed and she leaned into the car, eager to give the man a piece of her mind.

‘You know there are plenty of reasons a couple of respectable women might be walking out here and they have nothing to do with your dick!’

‘Why you little bitch, you’re going to pay for that’ he said, annoyed. He reached out for El’s purse as it swung on the end of her arm and got hold of it, pulling it with all his might. She let out a scream as he continued tugging, ineffectively slapping his big hairy hand away.

‘Let go you goon!’ she shouted as Sara moved in closer, armed with a stiletto heel in each hand. 

She leaned in and began to pummel him with both hands, growling as she swung over and over again, totally losing control. The guy screamed and finally let go of El’s purse.

‘You bitches are completely off your rocker!’ he shouted as he gave them the finger and sped away.

‘Oh my God!’ Elizabeth said as she pressed her purse against her chest. ‘Where the hell did you learn to do that?’

Sara exhaled loudly, the adrenaline slowly draining from her system. ‘You gotta use what you’ve got at your disposal’ she said breathlessly.

They looked around. Except for the hookers on each street corner, the place was pretty well abandoned. 

‘Maybe we should head back. This is really not working out’ Sara said, the effect of the wine finally beginning to fade.

From behind them, they heard another car approaching. 

‘Great’ El mumbled under her breath.

'Don’t look, just ignore him’ Sara said as she laced her arm in El’s and continued walking at a faster clip.

Once again, the car slowed and a voice called out. 

‘Excuse me ladies.’ 

As it edged past them, they became aware of the white car with the all too familiar blue lettering. 

‘Officer!’ El said with enthusiasm as she recognized the police car. ‘Thank God you’re here.’

He nodded with a little smirk and looked over at his partner. ‘I’m sure you are.’

‘We’ve been looking for a warehouse…’

‘A warehouse?’ he said, amused. ‘Now that’s a new one, huh Bernie?’

His partner spoke up. ‘Yeah, I’ve never heard that one before.’

Sara stepped forward. ‘Officer, really there’s nothing immoral going on here. We’re looking for our husbands. They’re around here somewhere.’

He could smell alcohol on their breath and this time, the officer snickered. 

‘You lost your husbands?’ he said mockingly. ‘Well, maybe we can help with that. Why don’t you climb in and we’ll see what we can do?’

Sara sighed in relief and with El following close behind, they climbed into the back seat of the cruiser. Finally, cooler heads were prevailing and their ill-advised stroll down ‘hooker alley’ was thankfully coming to an end. To their surprise, they heard the car door locks engage. The officers didn’t say a word and drove away at a quick pace.

‘What’s going on? They’re back there somewhere’ El said, leaning forward to speak through the glass.

‘You want to be the one to tell them?’ the driver asked his partner with a sneer.

‘Ladies, sit back and enjoy the ride. We’re taking you in for sollicitation.’

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

Neal sat cross-legged on the cold cement floor, holding his head in his hands. He was usually a ‘glass half full’ kinda guy but in this particular moment, he was disheartened. And exhausted. 

He and Mozzie had had their ups and downs over the years, clashes, disputes, disagreements, most of which got worked out with the passage of time and a modicum of good will on both sides. Their friendship had been worth fighting for and neither one of them had ever walked away for more than the time it took to calm down. Oh sure, they’d both had their little hissy fits, storming out during a heated argument when tempers flared. But they’d always found a way to hash things out until one of them came to his senses and if all else failed, they could always agree to disagree. 

Since Neal had gotten married, there were some definite lines that were not to be crossed and both of them had been reasonably good about respecting those limits although it had been infinitely harder on Mozzie than it had been on Neal. But despite the fact they no longer collaborated on Mozzie’s crazy schemes like they once had, they always had each other’s back, that had never changed. For that very reason, as he sat there struggling with what to do next, Neal was feeling as if he’d somehow let his buddy down. 

He and Peter had sifted through everything, absolutely everything, leaving no hiding place as minute as it might be, unchecked. One of them would go through a box or a drawer and would pass it on to the other who did a double check. Just in case.

While Neal sat quietly, Peter continued to poke at the stuff they’d already rifled through as if a handful of diamonds might magically appear out of thin air.

‘Leave it Peter’ Neal said, raising his head to look around. ‘They’re not here… they never were.’

Peter took a few steps and joined his best friend on the floor. ‘We’ll figure something out’ he murmured although he had no idea how to fix the mess Mozzie had managed to get himself into.

Neal gave him a half-hearted smile. ‘Maybe we can head out to the drive-thru at Diamonds Are Us and pick up a couple dozen nuggets.’

Peter joined in with a bitter chuckle. ‘What time is it?’ he asked.

‘We’ve still got a little over an hour’ came the response. 

After Mozzie’s frenzied plea, some goon had come on the line to lay out the terms of the exchange. He’d given Neal and Peter until midnight to come up with the diamonds at which time Mozzie’s fate was up in the air. The mystery man promised to get in touch with further instructions and although no specific threats were uttered, it had been clear that Mozzie’s wellbeing was at risk if they didn’t come up with the goods before time was up.

‘We can’t give them something we don’t have’ Neal bemoaned. 

‘I can call in some favours, get some manpower.’

‘And what? Go in with guns blazing? That’s not going to get Mozzie back safely’ Neal replied, sounding thoroughly defeated. ‘Besides, do you really want to explain to your buddies at NYPD that we’ve been on the hunt for some stolen diamonds worth several million dollars?’

Peter shrugged. ‘It’s not like you to be giving up’ he commented as he examined Neal’s flushed face.

‘I’m not. I’m thinking’ Neal said, his eyes brightening somewhat. There’s always another way, his life credo, began to play on a loop in his subconscious mind.

Peter had his phone in his hands, finally taking stock of those texts he’d been ignoring all night. Three missed calls and three texts. All from Elizabeth.

‘El seems eager to get in touch’ he commented as he read her texts.

‘Call home’ the first one read, followed by ‘Where the hell are you?’ and ‘Urgent! Call now!’

Neal was doing the same, scrutinizing his phone and reading through his text messages. One from Caitlin, telling him she needed to talk, another from Liam asking if Cody could sleep over and four from Sara asking him to call her back ASAP. 

‘No answer’ Peter said as he tried calling home. He tried again, El’s cell number this time. ‘That’s weird… she’s not answering.’

Neal was about to do the same when Peter’s phone rang in his hand - unknown number the screen said.

‘Hello?’ he said tentatively.

‘Peter Burke?’ the disembodied voice said. ‘Agent Peter Burke?’

‘Who is this?’

‘I don’t know if you remember me but we worked a case together a while back, Officer Joe Merton over at the 43rd precinct.’

Peter searched his memory without success. Who was this guy and why was he calling?

‘Sir, I recognized your name from your wife’s ID. She’s been brought into the station for…’ He coughed, clearing his throat. ‘…solicitation.’

‘What?’ Peter replied rather loudly.

‘Sir, we have your wife here in holding. Do you think you could come down here and help us clear things up? She’s with another woman’ the man continued. ‘Name of…’ Peter imagined him checking the arrest sheet. ‘… Sara Ellis. Do you know a Sara Ellis?’

‘I do’ Peter replied as he got to his feet. ‘We’ll be right there.’

Neal stood, waiting for an explanation. ‘What? What is it?’

‘Looks like our wives have gone and gotten themselves arrested.’

WCWCWC

Ginny was just too pissed to be upset. She’d been read the riot act, the consequences of her actions predictable: loss of her phone for the foreseeable future and quarantine for the coming week. That’s no social activities whatsoever, going to school and coming straight home afterwards her moms had explained. 

She was beyond angry. Her moms just didn’t get it - didn’t they remember what it was like to be a teenager? Luckily, she still had her direct line to Logan and she’d spent the rest of the evening texting back and forth, venting about her parents, how unreasonable they were, how she hated them for what they were doing to her. 

There was always a way around rules, Logan had replied as they’d discussed options for her to slip away. First off, her moms wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on her 24/7 and there were ways of skipping school without being found out. 

‘Leave it to me’ he’d said before hanging up. ‘Just don’t get caught with your phone.’ 

WCWCWC

The holding cell Elizabeth and Sara had been led to was reminiscent of the ones seen on those cop shows on TV - Barney Miller or maybe Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The large open space was cold and damp with a cement bench lining three of the four walls. The fourth wall, just like in the movies, was floor to ceiling metal bars that made the most bone chilling sound when the door was slammed shut. 

There’d been some comings and goings since the women had been ushered in twenty minutes earlier. Presently, the other occupants of the cell were three ladies of the evening all decked out in their best duds as well as some guy who was sleeping it off in the corner, a pool of vomit at his feet. The foul odour came in waves and Sara gagged once more as the putrid smell hit her nostrils.

‘This is ridiculous’ she exclaimed, standing by the locked door and giving it a firm - and noisy - rattle. 

‘We don’t look anything like…’ She stopped suddenly and glanced in the direction of the hookers who were busy checking her out. One of them giggled and whispered something to her two friends. Sara glowered at them.

El joined her, placing a hand on her arm. ‘Sara, they’ve got my purse’ she whispered in her ear. 

‘What do you mean?’ Sara said, distracted by the gawking spectators.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in response. ‘What do you mean ‘what do I mean?’… you know…’ she murmured as she elbowed her gently. 

Sara’s face grew taut as she clued into the fact that their loot was now in the hands of the police. ‘Ooooh… Are they allowed to search it? Isn’t that some kind of violation of our privacy rights?’

She shook the bars, louder this time and the tinny sound resonated in the cavernous space. ‘Hey! Still waiting for our one phone call over here!’ she shouted. ‘We’ve got rights guaranteed under the Constitution.’

El gave her a puzzled look.

‘That’s what they always say on TV’ Sara mumbled under her breath.

The drunk in the corner came to life, reacting to the commotion. He mumbled something and resettled against the wall, letting his body slide down the bench onto the floor and landing his sorry ass right in the pool of vomit. 

The officer who’d welcomed them at the front desk appeared, looking none too pleased with the interruption. ‘What the hell’s all the ruckus?’ he asked.

‘We demand our one phone call’ Sara said, standing tall and looking the man straight in the eye. She was a woman on a mission and she would not be denied.

‘We have rights’ Elizabeth added, head held high.

‘Oh yeah, then how come you’re in there and I’m out here?’ the guy said with an annoying giggle.

Sara glared at him.

‘Don’t get your knickers in a twist lady. I reached your husband and he’s on his way.’

Elizabeth’s eyes grew. ‘You called our husbands? What are we, a couple of teenagers out past curfew?’

‘You Mrs. Burke?’ he asked Elizabeth.

She nodded silently. 

‘Well, I noticed your husband’s name on your ID and I reached out to him’ the man said, sounding cocky. He puffed out his chest. ‘We go way back… worked on a case together.’

Sara’s face grew red. ‘Who said we wanted you to call her husband.'

El dropped her voice and pulled Sara aside. ‘Well honey, we kinda did’ she murmured.

‘That was for us to decide’ Sara continued, her voice growing louder. ‘We get to make our own decisions about who to call.’

The guy rolled his eyes, a totally inappropriate response as far as Sara was concerned. 

‘Yeah, yeah, whatever, lady. Just sit tight and I’ll let you know when he gets here.’

He turned to walk away but Sara wasn’t done yet. ‘And you need to clean up this guy’s barf!’ she shouted at his back. ‘These are… inhumane conditions!’

El watched her friend with interest; she was really losing her shit. Add a decisive fist pump and - yikes - Sara was turning into Mozzie.

WCWCWC

Turned out Mozzie’s ‘hosts’ knew how to do things right. There was fine cognac and cigars and Mozzie was taking full advantage of the whole ‘hostage’ experience. He was up in the last hand of the game, leaving two of the three thugs in his dust - perhaps not the smartest thing to do when you were trying to stay on the good side of your abductors. But then again, this was Mozzie and the smell of success was just too much to resist.

‘Put your left hand on the table’ Thug number one said.

It was down to the two of them and he’d been salivating at the sight of the Kruggerrand Mozzie had thrown into the pot for collateral. 

‘Why sir! You wound me’ Mozzie declared, pretending to be offended. 

Nevertheless, he acquiesced, setting his left hand on the table and tapping his rings on the wood finish in an effort to break his opponent’s concentration. The other two men observed the action with interest. Mozzie had been in the lead since round one and none of them could figure out if and how he was managing to cheat.

‘You’re damn good’ Big Burly Guy aka Stan said, envious of the little man’s obvious talents. 

He eyed the other two men and they seemed to come to some sort of silent agreement. 

‘You know, we’re looking for a fourth guy for a job coming up next month’ Stan said as Mozzie’s eyes lit up.

‘Oh yeah? What kind of job?’

WCWCWC

Another ten minutes passed before the door to the lockup opened again, this time revealing Neal and Peter following close behind Officer Merton.

‘The cavalry has arrived’ the man declared as he pulled out his bunch of keys and proceeded to unlock the cell door.

Neal and Peter, still confused about what was going on, stood by speechless. Considering the circumstances, they’d been expecting a nice warm welcome but instead, they found themselves on the receiving end of glaring looks from both their wives.

‘Oh look Gidget’ Elizabeth said in a mocked little girl voice. ‘Our daddies have come to rescue us.’

‘This is like some bad sitcom from the fifties’ Sara added, still livid. ‘Let me guess… Ricky and Fred coming to claim your crazy, rebellious wives?’ 

‘Well if we are’ Neal said with a smirk, ‘I definitely want to be Ricky.’

Sara glared at him, her hand immediately up and her finger wagging wildly in front of his face. ‘Don’t Neal! Just… don’t!’

Despite the fact he hadn’t done anything wrong, he gave her that smile - the one he reserved for when he’d messed things up and needed to be forgiven. Once her back was turned, he shrugged and exchanged a confused look with Peter.

The women wasted no time in stepping through the open door and leaving behind the dark and dingy cell. They were directed to an office to wait for the night supervisor who, thankfully, appeared before the men had a chance to ask a single question.

He was a big, gruff looking guy who looked annoyed at having had his beauty sleep interrupted. 

‘So, what’s the story here?’ he asked as he glanced down at the report he’d been handed.

‘Officer, we were brought here on false accusations’ Sara said, her voice indignant.

‘Lady…’ he said with a frustrated glance in her direction. ‘Skip the editorializing. Just… just tell me what happened.’

El spoke up. ‘We were walking up Prentiss Street, looking for our husbands —’ 

‘Looking for your husbands?’ he repeated, pointing to Neal and Peter. ‘On ‘hooker alley’?’

‘What?’ El said earnestly.

‘Do you realize that that section of Prentiss Street is…’ he stopped, choosing his words carefully, ‘… known for its nocturnal activities?’

Sara sat on the edge of her chair, ready to go to war. ‘We most certainly did not’ she declared.

‘Well, it is’ the man said. ‘It says here you were observed by Officers Pruitt and Black, leaning into cars and engaging in discussion with… potential clients.’

Elizabeth jumped in. ‘We were asking for directions.’

The man stifled a laugh. ‘Directions?’ he repeated, incredulous. ‘Yeah, like I’ve never heard that one before.'

‘We were looking for a warehouse’ El added, trying to keep her cool.

The man did his best to keep a straight face but failed miserably. ‘A warehouse…’

‘And you can wipe that smirk off your face’ Sara barked. ‘I’ll have you know, we’re both professional women.’  
The officer chuckled at her choice of words.

‘Respectable!’ Sara corrected, as prickly as she’d ever been. ‘I mean respectable women!’

The man returned his gaze to the report he’d been holding in his hands. ‘The officers reported they could smell alcohol on your breath’ he stated, looking smug. ‘Anything you want to say about that?’

‘We had some wine earlier’ Sara replied, her voice curt. ‘Is there a law against that too?’ she asked defiantly.

Neal and Peter stood behind their wives, looking at each other and wishing they could crawl under the carpet and disappear.

‘No. No law against that ma’am —’

‘Don’t. Call me ma’am’ Sara rudely interrupted. 

Neal rolled his eyes at Peter. His wife hated being called ma’am. Poor sucker behind the desk was about to find out just how much.

‘Ever since we were dragged in here on false accusations I might add, we’ve been treated with a lack of respect and a total disregard for our rights’ Sara continued, on a roll. ‘We are law abiding citizens and we were going about our business when… those big oafs drove up and accused us of —’

Neal gently placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. ‘Honey…’ he warned, fearful she was digging a hole for herself.

She turned to scowl at him. ‘Don’t honey me. You weren’t there Neal. The whole thing was totally humiliating.’

The big guy behind the desk looked from El to Sara, shaking his head. This was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth.

Elizabeth stared at the man, waiting for him to acknowledge her. ‘Look at us, do we look like a couple of hookers to you?’

The man sighed. ‘Well, I did hear that Spanky was looking to diversify, to reach out to a more sophisticated clientele’ he offered, trying to lighten the mood.

‘You’ve got to be kidding!’ Sara exclaimed, her face now the colour of a well aged burgundy. 

The officer shrugged. She sure was easy to wind up. He glanced up at Neal who gave him a shrug that told him he was on his own. The man had dealt with all kinds of crazies during his twenty plus years on the job but these two crazy women were really pushing his buttons. He thought of the bunk in the room next door with the soft flannel sheets and his name on it. Time to bring this shit show to an end.

‘Look, Black and Pruitt are both rookies and I can see they might have been a little overzealous in this case’ he finally acknowledged, ripping the report in two and throwing it in the nearby garbage can. 

‘Damn straight!’ El said, her head up high. 

‘And another thing, the conditions in that holding cell are… abysmal. You really need to keep that place clean’ Sara added, obviously not knowing when to quit.

The man nodded vacantly. ‘Sure, I’ll get right on that’ he said sarcastically. 

He’d finally given up. ‘You’re free to go’ he said, getting to his feet. 

‘Good luck’ he added, directing his comment to Neal and Peter.

WCWCWC

Logan lay on the couch as he spoke on the phone to his contact across the country. 

‘I’m getting ready to book our flight’ he said, his voice confident.

‘Some time next week at the latest’ he replied to the man’s question. ‘I just need one more session with her.’

‘Yeah, yeah. I think she’s ready to cut bait. Her folks have grounded her and she’s really pissed off… I know… perfect timing for us.’

The other man asked a few more questions on the other end. ‘I don’t boss’ Logan said. ‘I really don’t foresee any problems.’

‘Right… strike while the iron’s hot’ he added, echoing what the other man had just said.

‘I’ll be in touch.’

WCWCWC

The foursome were standing right outside the precinct when Elizabeth finally spoke up. Now that the tension was fading, she was remembering why she and Sara had been out chasing their husbands in the first place.

‘Oh honey, I almost forgot. We found them!’

‘Who?’ Peter asked. ‘Who’d you find?’

‘Not who, what?’

‘What?’

She shook her head dismissively and looked around, spotting a bench on the sidewalk and dragging Peter along with her to take a seat.

‘What’s going on El?’ Neal asked, his mind returning to their situation with Mozzie.

He and Sara stood in front of the Burkes as El reached into her purse and after one quick glance around to make sure they were not being observed, pulled out the baggie from the bottom of her purse.

‘Holy shit!’ said Neal. ‘Are those for real?’

‘Honey, where did you get these?’ Peter asked.

El glanced at Sara, suddenly feeling smug. ‘They were hidden inside the lamp Mozzie gave you.’

Neal let out a loud sigh of relief.

‘By the way, where is Mozzie?’ Sara asked, realizing for the first time he wasn’t with them. ‘I thought the three of you were working together at the warehouse.’

Neal brought his hand to rest on her back. ‘Yeah… about Mozzie’ he began.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Sara settled next to Neal in the back seat of Peter’s car. She had finally come off her high horse and was now focussed on their joint mission to rescue Mozzie from a terrible fate at the hands of his abductors. She was aware of Peter and El in the front seat, speaking softly although she couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. She felt Neal's arm reach around her back and pull her closer.

‘You okay?’ he asked, his voice quiet.

She nodded. ‘I guess I got a little carried away back there at the police station, huh?’

He had the good sense to refrain from agreeing, simply shrugging. ‘I get it’ he said, self-deprecatingly. ‘It’s not every day you get dragged in by the cops and thrown into a holding cell.’ 

She let out a breathless chuckle. ‘It was stupid of us to come looking for you’ she admitted. ‘I guess a little too much Pinot will do that to you.’

He smiled. His beautiful, crazy wife made everyday an adventure and truth be told, he wouldn’t want it any other way. 

‘I liked the flowers…’ she murmured as he leaned in and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

‘I thought you might’ he said quietly. 

She glanced at her watch. ‘Why is it taking them so long time to call?’ she asked, growing worried.

‘It’s not quite midnight yet.’

Their little detour to the police station had momentarily taken his mind off Mozzie and the conundrum he’d gotten himself into. But as the bewitching hour neared, Neal was growing increasingly worried about his buddy’s fate. They knew little about Billings’ ex-crew - would they honour their agreement to hand over Mozzie in exchange for the diamonds or would their vindictiveness lead to Mozzie getting hurt - or worse?

Sara seemed to read his thoughts. She patted his leg reassuringly. ‘Mozzie’s been in worse fixes, he can take care of himself’ she whispered.

He nodded absentmindedly and looked out at the quiet street, trying his best to not let his imagination run wild.

‘How do you want to do this?’ came Peter’s voice, pulling him out of his reverie.

Neal sighed. ‘That’s not entirely up to us, is it? They’ve probably identified a meeting place… We don’t want to turn the stuff over before we know Mozzie’s safe.’ 

Peter got that ‘Special Agent Peter Burke look’ in his eyes, his brow furrowed. ‘I still think we should drop El and Sara off at the school. We have no idea what we’re walking into here.’

‘Sitting right here’ Sara reminded him, annoyance obvious in her voice.

Neal turned to look at her. ‘Babe, Peter has a point. Don’t you think we have enough to worry about without you and El sitting in a car just a few feet away from a gang of thugs’ he said. ‘If these guys are vindictive, there’s no way of knowing what they might do.’

Sara opened her purse and pulled out her collapsible baton. ‘Seriously?’ she said just as Elizabeth spoke up in the front seat.

‘Honey, we’re all worried about Mozzie, don’t leave us on the sidelines’ she told Peter. ‘We can take care of ourselves.’

Peter bit down on the words that had instantly sprung to his lips: Right, like when you managed to get yourself arrested for solicitation.

He caught Neal’s eye in the rear view mirror; both men new better than to argue with their determined wives.

‘Just… just stay out of sight, okay?’ Neal said, trying to sound like a tough guy.

In reality, Sara had come face to face with just as many dangerous situations as he had over the years. And Elizabeth was no wallflower when it came to taking care of herself.

‘Fine’ Sara conceded, slipping her baton back into her purse.

The seconds ticked in silence. Neal was about to suggest a good natured game of ‘I spy with my little eye’ when the phone rang in his hand. All four of them gasped.

‘Hello…’ Neal said, putting his phone on speaker so everyone in the car could hear.

‘You better have good news for me’ the deep voice uttered, humourless.

Neal took a deep breath. ‘We do’ he said. ‘But I want to talk to Mozzie first.’

There were sounds in the background - strangely happy sounds, someone cheering. Mozzie came on, seemingly distracted.

‘Neal?’ he said.

Neal’s heart thumped wildly in his chest at the sound of his voice. ‘Moz! You okay buddy?’

‘Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.’

‘We’re on our way to get you. Just… hang on, all right?’

‘Did you…’

‘Yeah, they were hidden in the lamp you gave Peter’ Neal announced, to Mozzie’s relief. 

‘I knew it!’ he declared, seemingly more pleased with their discovery than disappointed at ultimately losing the gems.

The phone was wrestled out of his hands and the thug they’d been talking to before came back on the line. ‘Now listen up. There’s a gas station and convenience store at the corner of Porter and Vine. We’ll be waiting in the parking lot behind. No guns!’

Neal swallowed hard at the mention of firearms. ‘We’re not giving up the gems before you hand over Mozzie.’

‘Just show up and I’ll take you to him.’

‘We’ll need twenty minutes to get there’ Neal lied. He knew the convenience store the guy was talking about. He often gassed up there on the way to the school of art but they needed time to regroup, map out their plan of action.

‘Just don’t try anything funny or your little buddy disappears.’

WCWCWC

Caitlin made her way into the kitchen by the light of the stove. She heard the soft rustle of sheets and gasped as she caught sight of Liam and Cody asleep on the hide-a-bed in the family room. She chuckled and stepped in closer, taking stock of the situation. 

The two men were both facing the patio door, Liam’s long, lanky arm snugly wrapped around his boyfriend’s waist as he spooned him. Both of them were snoring softly. She envied them. She, on the other hand, was still flying solo and she’d begun to wonder if she’d ever find someone to care about the way these two did. She tiptoed away and up the stairs with Raffie following close behind. With any luck, her foster parents were upstairs but not yet asleep. She needed to unburden herself about what had happened over at Ginny’s place. To her dismay, the door to their bedroom was wide open, the bed still made even though it was well past midnight. 

‘Where are Mom and Dad?’ she murmured to Raffie who wagged his tail gleefully in reply.

She made her way down the hall to her room and stepped inside, the dog curling up at the foot of her bed. Seemed she’d have to wait until morning to unload.

WCWCWC

Cody woke to the sound of soft footsteps going up the stairs. ’Was that your folks?’ he asked, his voice sleepy.

Liam came to, flipping onto his back as Cody clung to him. ‘I dunno’ he mumbled.

‘This is weird’ Cody said, suddenly wide awake.

Liam sighed and tried his best to ignore him. ‘Go to sleep’ he moaned.

The silence lasted all of three seconds. ‘Babe?’ Cody murmured.

Liam didn’t reply.

‘This is nice, huh? Being in bed together’ Cody continued, undeterred. He ran his hand down his boyfriend’s chest, mindlessly toying with the man’s nipples.

Liam groaned. ‘Stop!’ he said in that ‘don’t stop’ voice of his.

Cody tugged firmly and chuckled. ‘What do you think brought all this on with your folks letting me sleep over?’

‘Does it matter?’

‘I don’t know… it seems like just last week they were lecturing us about becoming responsible adults before we got to have any of the perks.’

Liam was awake now, his arm snugly around Cody’s shoulder. ‘I think it’s our moms… they took pity on us.’

‘Huh…’ Cody replied. ‘I can see that. Maybe they got tired of seeing us stealing gropes whenever their backs were turned.’

Liam chuckled. ‘I don’t think we were doing a very good job of being discreet. I’ll bet my mom felt bad because Hope gets to sleep over at Cam’s all the time. They even started letting him sleep over here after the accident.’

Cody nodded. ‘Do your folks still go at it?’ he asked unexpectedly.

‘Yeah’ Liam said with a giggle. ‘Every chance they get.’

‘Mine are on a strict schedule’ Cody offered. ‘Wednesdays and Saturdays whether they’re in the mood or not.’

‘You’re kidding.’

‘They’re so obvious about it too. My mom will say something like ‘Mike, I can hardly keep my eyes open’ right around ten o’clock. Then my dad will yawn and stretch his arms. ‘Me too’ he’ll say as if I don’t know what’s going on.’

‘That’s hilarious. Mine just go at it all the time, whenever the mood strikes… and they’re not subtle about it either. My dad will start pawing my mom while they’re watching TV or she’ll giggle and climb up on his lap and start whispering in his ear. I swear, sometimes I think they’re going to start going at it right in front of us.’

He smiled as a recent memory tugged at his subconscious. ‘A couple of months ago, I found them doing it in the kitchen. They thought nobody was home and my dad had my mom up on the kitchen counter, his pants down around his ankles… I don’t know who was more embarrassed me or them.’

‘That’s nice though…’ Cody murmured with a smirk, ‘…that your folks are still so crazy about each other.’

Liam had a fleeting thought of the terrible few months the family had gone through following Hope’s accident. He sighed as he recalled how his mom had kicked his dad out of the house when his drinking had gotten out of control. Back then, he’d grown worried that whatever magic there was between them might disappear in a haze of whisky. Apparently, he’d had nothing to fear.

‘Yeah… I guess it’s kinda cool. Do you think you and I will ever get tired of each other?’

Cody pulled himself up onto his elbow to look into Liam’s eyes. ‘Are you kidding? We’ll be doing the nasty until we have one foot in the grave.’

Liam felt himself stir at the sight of his boyfriend’s naughty smile. ‘You want to go again?’ he murmured, his voice rough.

WCWCWC

Neal estimated it would take them less than five minutes to drive over to the designated meeting place so they took advantage of the rest of the time to strategize as best they could. There was no reason to believe this was anything but a straight exchange: the gems in return for Mozzie. But both Peter and Neal knew all too well that operations went FUBAR all the time. Crooks were human beings too, subject to the same impulses as everyone else. If they felt threatened or heaven forbid, got scared, they could react hastily - especially if guns were within reach.

‘Just let me step out of the car by myself’ Neal offered; after all, Mozzie was his responsibility.

‘Like hell I will’ Peter replied without hesitation. ‘We’ll both get out and talk to him. If he doesn’t like it, tough.’

Neal appreciated the support, he just didn’t want things going south for any of them.

‘Do you think he’ll be alone?’ Neal asked.

‘Hard to tell. If they’re keeping Mozzie in another location, they won’t want to leave him unsupervised.’

‘How many of them do you suppose there are?’

‘Well, didn’t you say he originally had a three man crew? I can’t imagine any of them walking away from a potential ten million dollar score.' 

Neal nodded; that made sense. His mind wandered back to Mozzie and what he might be going through at the hands of his abductors. He shuddered. For all his bluster, Mozzie was a gentle soul who counted on his obscure sense of humour and sharp intellect to talk himself out of dangerous situations. Up against three brutes, he wouldn’t stand much of a chance.

‘He’ll be fine’ Sara murmured next to him, once more reading his mind. 

He put on a brave face and nodded. ‘So we’re agreed. We show him a small sample of the diamonds and demand to see Mozzie before we give up the rest.’

‘Nothing like dangling a treasure in front of someone’s eyes to get them to cooperate’ Peter added.

‘All right’ Neal said under his breath. He leaned over and kissed his wife. 

‘Promise me you’ll stay out of sight and won’t come charging out of the car with that thing’ he said, with a head nod towards her purse.

‘I can’t promise that Caffrey’ Sara replied. 

He opened his mouth to speak and she cut him off. ‘Fine! El and I will stay in the car.’

He let himself out of the back seat and opened the passenger door to let Elizabeth out. She hurried into the spot he’d just vacated and slipped her arm into Sara’s as they curled up together in the back seat.

‘Up here on the left’ Neal instructed as Peter pulled away from the curb.

As expected, the convenience store was about a dozen blocks away. They drove past the school of art on the way and Neal glanced at the storefront by sheer force of habit, taking a gander at the large mural that filled the back wall of the cavernous lobby. Sara watched from the back seat, noticing that familiar glimpse of pride in her husband’s eyes.

They spotted the convenience store a block out. It was well illuminated, one of the few businesses still open past midnight. A few cars were parked out front and some teens were hanging out smoking and sipping on giant vats of sugar laden beverages. Peter pulled in and made his way around the back which was considerably darker and totally abandoned. There was no other car in sight so he backed in and parked sideways, giving him the necessary room to manoeuvre should another car try to block their way. 

They waited in silence, Neal checking his watch. He pulled out the small grouping of gems he’d tucked into his pants’ pocket, almost dropping one in the process.

‘Stop fiddling with those’ Peter said curtly, belying the tension he was feeling in the pit of his stomach.

After a few moments, headlights were spotted rounding the corner and a car slipped in behind the convenience store. From where they sat, it looked like one occupant in the car although they couldn’t tell for sure.

‘Show time’ Neal murmured as he prepared to step out of the car.

The guy who climbed out of the car looked like a steamroller - really big guy to match the deep voice Neal had heard on the phone. He was worth two regular sized thugs and Neal shivered as he took a few steps towards him.

‘Show me’ the guy said - apparently a man of few words.

Peter stared him down. ‘Where’s Mozzie?’

‘I want to see the goods first’ the man said.

Neal reached into his pocket, feeling his hands shaking. This little exchange couldn’t be over soon enough.

‘That’s it?’ Big Burly Guy said with disappointment.

Peter stared him down. ‘No. That’s just a sample. You don’t think we’d be stupid enough to hand everything over before we get our guy.’

Neal hid a small smile in reaction to Peter referring to Mozzie as ‘their’ guy.

The thug pulled out a small flashlight and aimed it at the few diamonds dwarfed in his giant paw of a hand. After a moment, he reached into his pocket and produced a small magnifying glass and proceeded to examine the loot. Neal thought he was faking - nobody could get a really good look under these circumstances. He sure as hell wouldn’t be able to authenticate anything in this light. Maybe they could have gotten away with cut glass after all.

‘How many?’ the guy groaned.

‘About a dozen… maybe fifteen’ Neal replied, purposefully vague.

He grumbled. ‘All right, follow me and I’ll take you to your little friend.’

Peter piped up, throwing his shoulders back in an attempt to appear more threatening. ‘Wait a minute, how do we know you’re not leading us straight into an ambush?’ he asked in what Neal recognized as his tough special agent voice.

‘Look, do you want your guy or not?’

Neal glanced in Peter’s direction and shrugged. The man had a point.

‘How far?’ Neal asked.

‘Just shut up and follow me’ the guy replied - Mr. Nice Guy.

Everyone returned to their cars. Neal could feel his hands still shaking. ‘Magilla Gorilla has nothing on him’ he commented as he buckled up.

‘Where are they taking us?’ El asked as Peter pulled out, following the other car.

‘Your guess is as good as mine’ he muttered, taking a right turn. ‘Let’s just hope Mozzie’s on the other end.’

No one spoke as Peter drove, the tension palpable in the car. In what state they would find Mozzie seemed to be on everybody’s mind. Peter noticed them heading out of the downtown core into some more suburban areas of the Bronx. As they drove, the houses got bigger, the neighbourhoods more posh until they finally arrived on a street with houses built on large parcels of land. 

Finally, Mr. Burly Guy turned into the driveway of a sprawling bungalow. Peter parked directly behind him. The man stepped out of his car and in a move reminiscent of their days at the Bureau, gave Neal the two finger point.

‘Bring the stuff’ he shouted before turning to enter the house.

Peter made a move to step out of the car but Neal placed a hand on his arm.

‘It’s okay, I’ve got this Peter’ he said before opening the car door and making his way up the driveway.

Inside, he could see three men sitting around a friendly game of cards, sucking on cigars and throwing back tumblers of amber liquid. To his astonishment - and relief - he noticed Mozzie lean in, pulling what looked like the winnings towards him as he bellowed in glee.

He saw Big Burly Guy step into the room and talk to the three men and Mozzie looked out the window, squinting as he attempted to look out into the dark of night. Seeing nothing, he stood and followed Big Burly Guy outside, the two of them appearing on the landing by the front door.

‘Here’s your pal, now let’s see the stuff’ Big Burly Guy barked as Mozzie waved frantically.

‘Neal! Hey! You made it’ he called out as if Neal was merely picking him up to go out for a drink.

Neal was torn between hugging him and knocking his block off. ‘What the hell, Moz’ he said, stepping forward to hand over the bag of gems.

Mozzie stared down at them and looked back at Neal, eyes excited. ‘Guess what? I’m up thirteen hundred bucks in the game’ he shouted as the thug proceeded to count the diamonds Neal had just handed him.

Back in the car, Peter sat with his hand on the car door, ready to erupt onto the scene at the first sign of trouble.

Neal glared at Mozzie, incredulous. ‘You’ve been playing poker?’ he said, his voice beyond angry.

‘Crazy pineapple!’ Mozzie clarified as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ‘Can I play one last hand before we go?’

Neal gave him the death stare and Mozzie finally seemed to clue in. 

‘All right then’ he said, checking his pockets for his winnings. ‘I guess that’s a no.’

Neal turned, his blood boiling. He’d been so worried about Mozzie’s safety when all along, the man had found a way to ingratiate himself to his abductors and had actually taken money from them.

Mozzie headed down the path, following Neal towards the car. 

‘See you Stan!’ he called out over his shoulder. ‘Call me when you get that job sorted out.’

‘Will do Moz!’ the man replied with a wave.

Neal turned to give his buddy one last look of exasperation and Mozzie opened his mouth, intent on explaining.

Neal put up his hand and turned away. ‘Don’t. Even. Bother!’

WCWCWC

The house was silent when Neal and Sara walked in at around one thirty in the morning. They took a quick walk around the main floor to make sure everything was locked up for the night and stumbled upon the young lovers, bodies tangled in sleep. 

‘Shit!’ Neal whispered as Sara hovered behind him. ‘I forgot to answer Liam’s text.’

She smiled, not so secretly pleased. ‘Let me guess, he wanted to know if Cody could sleep over?’ 

Neal placed a finger on her lips, urging her to be quiet and followed her up the stairs to their room. He was exhausted but strangely, he was also feeling edgy and restless. All that worrying about Mozzie, the adrenaline from springing his wife out of jail and meeting up with the crooks, the let-down when Mozzie was found safe and sound… it had all led to a mingling of emotions he couldn’t quite manage at the moment.

Sara was the first to slip into bed. She watched as he undressed, surprised to find her husband at half-mast as he pulled on a pair of sleep pants - he was obviously turned on, by what she wasn’t quite sure. He eyed her up and down and slipped in next to her.

‘Is that what used to happen to you after a heist?’ she asked, stroking him playfully. 

‘Sometimes’ he admitted, lips drawn to her neck. ‘The adrenaline… it just… has to go somewhere, you know’ he said, his voice rough.

She laughed, running her nails down his naked back. ‘You do remember you have your dentist appointment at nine tomorrow morning, right?’

‘Fuck…’ he groaned as he continued to nibble on her ear. ‘I don’t care.’

He might in the morning but Sara was a good sport. She had plenty of pent-up energy of her own from her earlier shenanigans in the Bronx and she didn’t mind putting it to good use to give her husband the release he seemed to be craving so urgently. He’d already slipped out of the sleep pants he’d just pulled on moments before, by all appearances, no longer just half the way there.

‘Baby…’ he moaned, tugging at her yoga pants.

She ran her hand through his hair, settled her eyes on his and bit her bottom lip for effect.

‘I’m all yours Caffrey’ she murmured.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

Sara kept one eye on the door and the other on the lunch menu the perky server had left at their table. Lunch out with her daughter on a weekday was a rather rare occurrence although Hope had suggested it in passing, downplaying Sara’s suspicions that there might be something specific on her daughter’s mind.

She glanced down at her phone, noticing Neal still hadn’t replied to her earlier text. Predictably, she’d had to drag him out of bed after his over the top antics between the sheets the night before. He’d been truly wired following their little adventure with Mozzie. The tension which had been building all evening had finally culminated in the familiar manifestation of her husband’s all too healthy libido. He’d once mentioned in passing that, back in his conman days, following a heist or a particularly high risk job, he’d needed sexual release in order to recentre himself. She found the whole thing rather amusing - although this morning when he’d rolled himself out of bed for his second root canal appointment, he hadn’t found it amusing in the least.

She’d momentarily taken her eyes off the door to the café when she heard approaching footsteps and looked up to find Hope standing before her. Her thick, unruly hair had been pulled up in a loose chignon, the way she wore it most days she worked at the gallery in a not so terribly successful attempt at reining in the wild tresses that characterized her free spirit so well. A few tendrils had escaped, framing her face and her clear blue eyes shone as she smiled brightly. For all her insecurities following the damage to her face, she remained beautiful with full lips and high cheekbones, the small, almost imperceptible scars and imperfections only adding to her charm and unique look.

She leaned across the table to kiss her mom’s cheek and Sara squeezed her arm lovingly before letting her settle across from her in the booth.

‘This place is crazy busy’ Hope commented as she reached for the menu.

‘It always is’ her mom replied of the tiny café located a couple of blocks south of Sterling Bosch.

‘Do they still serve that amazing lobster roll?’ Hope asked, perusing the menu eagerly.

‘Only when it’s lobster season’ Sara replied, pointing to a particular item on the menu. ‘Lucky for you, we’re smack dab in the middle of it.’

‘That’s what I’m having then!’ Hope declared decidedly, setting down her menu and turning her full attention to her mother. ‘Oh, and by the way, lunch is on me.’

Sara stared back at her grown daughter. Every once in a while it hit her - how while she and Neal had been working hard to provide a good life for their family, their kids had become young adults, capable and responsible and living their own best lives. 

‘We missed you at breakfast this morning’ she said.

‘We started watching a movie… and then it got so late we decided it was safer for me to sleep over at Cam’s.’

That was something else Sara had noticed as of late - Hope’s increasing use of the pronoun ‘we’. Almost everything these days was a mutual decision between herself and Cameron. They were a unit now, a committed couple who planned their lives around each other, just as she and Neal had learned to do early on in their marriage.

‘So how is Cam? I feel like I haven’t seen him in days.’

‘He’s good. We’re getting a new exhibit in this afternoon but he insisted I take the rest of the day off… speaking of which’ she continued, her voice dropping as if confiding a deep dark secret, ‘…you want to play hooky and go shopping?’

Sara sighed. ‘Oh honey, I wish I could. I’ve got a ton of emails to get through and this report I’m writing —’

She stopped suddenly as Hope’s clear blue eyes stared back at her wistfully. They were Neal’s eyes - the ones that hypnotized her and made her do crazy things like forgo an extra hour of sleep for the sake of some hot late night sex.

‘Oh, what the heck. I suppose I could do a couple of hours of work at home tonight’ she said as Hope beamed back at her.

‘There’s this new shop by the gallery I’ve been dying to check out. It’s kind of retro… like they’ve got this 70s tie dye stuff and…’ 

Sara listened and nodded although her mind had already begun to wander. She and her daughter couldn’t be more different when it came to their taste in clothes. Whereas she’d always tended towards classic cuts that never went out of style, Hope was a bohemian at heart and her choice of clothes reflected her more relaxed style. But then again, clothing style had little to do with this impromptu getaway and they both knew it.

‘That sounds great’ she replied, just plain happy to be spending time with her girl.

‘Uncle Peter told me what happened last night’ Hope said, taking the conversation in a totally different direction. ‘Did you and Aunt Elizabeth really get arrested for picking up some guy in Hookerville?’

A woman from another table glanced in their direction and tsked.

Sara frowned, giving her daughter a reproachful stare. ‘Hookerville? Really?’ she murmured under her breath. 

‘Yeah… everybody knows that strip of Prentiss is strictly for prostitutes. How could you not know that Mom? Dad’s art school has been there for like four years.’

Sara felt her cheeks redden. ‘Let’s just say I don’t usually… wander around that neighbourhood. Anyway, it wasn’t… it wasn’t like that at all.’

Hope chuckled and raised an eyebrow in anticipation as she sat back and crossed her arms. ‘Oh yeah? Well I can’t wait to hear this.’

WCWCWC

Working from home was usually a win-win situation for Elizabeth Burke. She got a lot more done without the constant phone interruptions and clients popping in without appointments. But then again, working out of their home had its own set of perils — one of which was those frequent and unannounced visits from Mozzie. Therefore, she wasn’t terribly surprised when, just before lunchtime, the back door opened, revealing the little man who’d become one of her closest friends and confidant. 

‘I thought I locked that door’ Elizabeth declared, looking up from a stack of invoices scattered all over the dining room table.

He shrugged and stepped in, looking around suspiciously. ‘Is the Suit around?’ he asked.

‘He’s at the gallery’ she replied, getting to her feet.

‘I figured I might not be welcome after last night’ he murmured, avoiding her eyes.

Elizabeth was already moving towards the kitchen to put the kettle on. She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a good natured glare.

‘Well, you did give us quite a scare’ she admitted as he slipped onto a kitchen stool.

‘Neal’s still not talking to me’ he complained, looking like a poor abandoned little boy.

‘Can you blame him?’ El retorted, always good for a reality check.

‘I suppose…’ he said with a shrug. ‘I was just… making the best of a bad situation.’

‘Well, you’re damn lucky we found those diamonds or you might be playing cards for the foreseeable future.’

He glanced around the living room, his eyes resting on the Tiffany lamp, safely tucked away in its new spot on the bookshelf. ‘So, the guy hid them in the lamp, huh?’ he said in obvious admiration.

‘I like the new layout’ he added at the sight of the new furniture arrangement.

‘Sara and I did some… well lubricated reorganization last night’ she said cagily. 

‘Yeah… I meant to ask what the two of you were doing in the car last night?’

Elizabeth poured boiling water into the Waterford teapot and reached in the cupboard for some cookies. She hesitated for a moment before picking up a small felt bag with a drawstring which had been left lying on the kitchen counter.

‘That’s a long story but before I tell you all about it… I have a little something for you.’

Mozzie’s face brightened. He loved surprises.

Elizabeth was looking back intently, her eyes narrow. ‘But you have to promise this stays between us.’

‘Mrs Suit!’ Mozzie exclaimed with an eyebrow wag. ‘I love it when you go rogue.’

‘Well, I don’t know if this qualifies as going rogue but I figured you were so excited at the possibility of finding those diamonds…’

Mozzie’s eyes grew as he waited in anticipation. Her hands lingered on the soft felt bag and she slipped it across the counter towards him.

‘Is this… is this what I think it is?’ he asked as his hand reached out for it.

‘Why don’t you take a look for yourself?’

The drawstring was loosened and Mozzie tipped the bag slowly, watching in wonder as three dazzling diamonds slipped out onto the counter. Elizabeth’s hand was on his, squeezing.

‘I figured you deserved a consolation prize’ she said as he beamed at her. 

‘Mrs. Suit’ he declared, his voice full of emotion. ‘You’re the best!’

WCWCWC

‘So tell me, how did you pull it off?’ Ginny asked as she and Logan pulled out of the family driveway. 

‘Now if I told you that, I’d be giving away all my secrets’ he said with a smirk. ‘All you need to know is you’ve been sprung from school for the day.’ 

Ginny relaxed next to him. She’d spent two tortuous days going to and from school, her moms not giving her an inch of the freedom she craved.

‘So we’ve got all day together?’

He nodded. ‘What time do you need to get back?’

‘Four. Or my moms will call the National Guard.’

He glanced at his watch. ‘Well, that gives us six and a half hours to… have some fun.’

He tapped her thigh, running his hand lustily up the sheer black stockings she wore under the micro miniskirt he’d instructed her to wear. Her eyes shone brightly. She’d never had a guy go to bat for her like this before. Logan understood her in ways nobody else did. Living under the thumb of her overprotective moms had grown tedious when all she wanted was a little freedom to live her life.

‘That lipstick looks good on you’ he said of the makeup he’d bought for her.

She licked her lips provocatively and he smiled in return. ‘And if you’re a good girl, I might have a surprise for you when I take you home.’

‘A surprise?’ she said with a wide grin. ‘I love surprises.’

‘I know you do’ he murmured, reaching into his pocket and coming up with a small pill. ‘In the meantime, I got you this. You’re going to love it, it’s a little more intense than what you’re used to. You up for that?’

‘Yeah…’ she said with just a hint of hesitation. Logan hadn’t steered her wrong yet she reflected as she took the pill from his hand.

‘What is it?’

He gave her a shrug. ‘Does it matter?’

She popped it in her mouth in reply and gave him a cheery smile.

He took the turnoff towards his place, his hand firmly stroking her leg. ‘Hang on sweetness’ he said, ‘you’re in for quite a ride.’

WCWCWC

It was late morning by the time Neal stepped out of Dr. Ball’s office, feeling oddly refreshed. He’d actually fallen asleep while the dentist had been toiling away, roaring dental equipment and all. He thought he might have actually been snoring although the dental assistant had been too polite to confirm it when he’d asked. Now that his appointment was over, the only discomfort remaining was the tension in his jaw which had been pried open for much too long and the strange sensation of the freezing along the left side of his face.

He headed for the car, wondering where he would be best off investing his time. He now spent most days at the school of art although he did pop into the gallery a couple of afternoons a week to check on things. Not that Peter or Cameron needed his help in any way but his name was on the storefront and he tried to stay on top of everything that was going on there from upcoming exhibits to the Raphael’s finances. Besides, nothing put a smile on his face like spending a few precious minutes with his beautiful daughter. Without much thinking, the car began to gravitate towards the bridge in the direction of the Chelsea District of Manhattan. He settled in for the drive.

His mind returned to the events of the previous night, starting with his and Peter’s extensive search of the warehouse, their unlikely detour to the 43rd precinct and culminating with the ‘release’ of Mozzie who had not seemed to require rescuing in the least. He should have known better than to fret about his old friend. Mozzie had always been able to take care of himself, even before their paths had crossed all those years ago. And yet, he still worried about him, out there in the big bad world.

He sighed as he recalled the intensity of his and Sara’s lovemaking the night before. She’d been a good sport about giving in to his over the top, irrepressible urge to let loose. He had a fleeting thought for Kate Moreau and all those torrid nights they’d had following much too perilous and decidedly illegal adventures. Danger and excitement had always had that effect on his nether regions and it hadn’t changed much in the intervening years. 

Now that he’d managed to release all that pent up energy, his anger towards Mozzie had all but evaporated - not that the older man needed to know that quite yet. It wouldn’t do any harm to let him sweat it out a little while longer.

He blinked, realizing the car had miraculously found its way up West 27th, the Raphael coming up on his left. Peter’s car sat in the lone parking spot dedicated to the gallery and there was a rental truck parked in front with two guys unloading some large canvasses. 

It seemed he’d picked the perfect time for an impromptu visit. 

WCWCWC

‘Thanks’ Sara said as the waitress set down the pot of tea.

She and Hope had been zigzagging the Chelsea District for the better part of three hours, peeking in on shops of all kinds including the little gift boutique where she’d finally managed to find an appropriate gift for Neal for their upcoming wedding anniversary. She pulled out the box and opened it, admiring the set of copper mugs she’d settled on.

‘Dad’s going to love these’ Hope said, taking one in her hand and examining it.

‘I was thinking I could add a non-alcoholic recipe for Moscow mules and include all the ingredients.’

Hope nodded in agreement. 

‘You know your dad’ Sara continued. ‘He’s a sucker for tradition. He’s going to love that I stuck to the script and got him something made of copper….’

‘It’s perfect Mom’ Hope sighed.

Whether she was tired or lost in thought, Hope had grown quiet and Sara looked up at her with a warm smile. ‘You okay sweetie?’

‘Yeah… of course I am. We don’t get to do this very often’ she replied, pointing to the pile of shopping bags by her side. 

Sara poured and Hope took a sip of her hot chamomile tea before speaking. ‘Mom, I need your advice about something.’

‘Sure, what is it?’ Sara said, reaching for her hand.

Hope suddenly appeared tentative. Whatever was on her mind had her thinking twice before coming clean. ‘You know how I get whenever I have to go in for a follow-up appointment or another surgery. I know I’m not easy to live with…’

Sara nodded. ‘Honey, that’s perfectly understandable.’

‘Every single time, it brings me back to that night and… all the giant holes in my memory about what really happened. And then, between appointments I sort of… let it go, I don’t think about it all that much.’

She took another sip, gathering her thoughts. ‘But this time… I mean since I saw Dr. White last week… well, I… I’m still thinking about it.’

Sara wasn’t sure where this was all going but she was happy just to listen. Hope didn’t talk much about the night of the accident anymore and with Cam in her life, she’d noticed her daughter increasingly turning to him for comfort.

‘Mom… it’s been over two years and I still can’t remember anything… and there’s a part of me that won’t let it go.’

Sara’s hand lingered on her daughter’s, finally seeing what this was all leading to. ‘And there’s only one person who can help you with that, right?’

Hope nodded and sniffled. ‘I’ve held back from asking Dad all this time because I didn’t want to… I don’t want to trigger bad memories for him but I feel like I’m never going to be able to let it go until I know exactly what happened.’

‘Your dad’s come a long way since… since that night’ Sara said. ‘He’s stronger than you think.’

‘Yeah, but I notice he still can’t look me in the eye when I have those awful nightmares and the last thing I want is to have him think I blame him for any of it. Because I don’t.’

‘I know that Hope. And so does your dad.’

‘Do you think… do you think I should talk to him? Ask him about it?’

Sara sighed and sat back, glancing around the small café. Years later, she still worried about both her daughter and her husband who had been equally traumatized by the events of that fateful night.

‘Mom, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put this to rest if I don’t talk to Dad about it but if I thought for one minute that asking him about it would trigger something… anything at all I would… I would find a way to live with not knowing.’

‘No, no honey, that’s not right. You can’t keep all those questions bottled up inside. If you have questions and your dad has some of the answers you’re looking for, I know he wouldn’t hesitate to open up to you.’

‘What if he —’ 

‘He’s not going to start drinking again’ Sara interrupted, reading her daughter’s mind. ‘He’s got tools now that he didn’t have back then. And he’s got people who support him.’ 

‘But you hear about people falling off the wagon all the time. What if by bringing it up, I trigger something and it pushes him over the edge.’

Sara was shaking her head decisively. ‘Your father is his own person Hope. I’ve watched him claw his way back and it’s been a slow and painful process… for all of us. But he’s gotten the help he needed and he has a better understanding of why he turned to drinking after you got hurt. But more importantly, he knows the consequences of ever using booze that way again.’

Hope didn’t look convinced, still wavering.

‘If…’ Sara continued. ‘If he ever faltered, which I very much doubt, that would be on him honey. Not on you.’

Tears were forming in Hope’s eyes. ‘I love him so much… I can’t bear the thought of hurting him.’

‘Would you like me to talk to him? See if I can feel him out first?’ Sara offered.

Hope shrugged. ‘Maybe. But if you pick up on any reluctance…’

Sara smiled. ‘I’ll let you know. But honey, I know your father. When he finds out how you’ve been feeling, I know he’ll want to do anything he can to make you feel better.’

‘Do you think I’m being selfish?’

‘No, no of course not. That night was likely the most traumatic event you’ll ever live through and you need to be able to heal properly so you can get on with your life. That’s what your dad and I both want for you.’

Hope nodded and blinked, tears finally spilling onto her pale cheeks.

‘Thanks Mom.’ 

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

The gaggle of rowdy teenage boys sat clustered around a large table in the school cafeteria, most of them members of the White Plains High senior basketball team. As always, William Allenby had managed to slip in next to his best friend, the team captain. The sound of laughter and good natured ribbing filled the cavernous room, echoing off the walls - just a bunch of testosterone fuelled young men, letting loose after hours of being locked up in a dark, dingy classroom.

‘I got ‘em’ Will said, wagging a pair of tickets before his best friend’s nose.

‘Oh yeah? Let’s see.’

Will and Liam were a year shy of graduation but both Cody and Will’s girlfriend Josie were a year ahead of them, preparing to leave high school behind them for good. That meant Will and Liam would be guests at this year’s graduation dance, scheduled for the third weekend of June at a luxury downtown hotel. 

‘Cool’ Liam said, returning to his lunch. ‘I better remind Cody to pick up a pair for us.’

‘So you’re definitely going?’

Liam shrugged. His relationship with Cody Miller was no secret amongst their peers at the progressive high school. Of course, as a gay couple, they remained in the minority, one of a mere handful of same-sex couples attending the suburban school. They’d briefly considered not attending graduation at all but that would be caving in to the minority of narrow minded members of the student body. Sadly, there were still the odd students who made inappropriate comments around them, whistling when they walked down the hall together or making tasteless jokes whenever they were within ear shot. But for the most part, the student body at White Plains High was cool with the two young men dating. 

Of course, it didn’t hurt that Liam was the school’s star athlete bringing fame and recognition to White Plains High or that Cody was Mr. Personality, the kind of easygoing guy everyone loved to be around. In contrast, another couple of boys who’d begun dating over the past year hadn’t been quite so lucky. One of them was on the effeminate end of the spectrum and they were teased mercilessly by some of the more straight-laced students. There was still much work to be done by the school’s Gay Straight Alliance Cody Miller had founded a few years back.

As a same-sex couple, being in social situations with their peers was always awkward. Dances were about… well, dancing and holding hands and getting close to each other and for Liam especially, public displays of affection were uncomfortable and thus, remained an ongoing challenge. In fact, there were very few situations in which the two of them could truly be themselves - in the company of their families and amongst a very restricted group of trusted friends. Cody had managed to convince his boyfriend that they needed to take a stand by attending the year end party and Liam had been teetering on the edge, close to taking a leap of faith. 

‘I’m considering it’ he replied as he took a mouthful of his sandwich.

‘That’s great! Josie’s been talking non-stop about it for weeks’ Will remarked. ‘…when she’s talking to me, that is.’

‘What do you mean? Is she still pissed off?’

Will shrugged. ‘She won’t tell me why she’s mad but she’s been giving me the cold shoulder ever since I skipped out on her last weekend.’

Liam frowned. ‘That’s stupid… it wasn’t your fault the coach called a last minute practice.’

‘You know Josie…’ Will said, leaving the rest unsaid.

Josie Robertson was what would best be described as a ‘high maintenance’ girlfriend. She was pretty, blond, petite, blue eyed, the kind of girl most guys would kill to have on their arm. She hung out with the cool girls, her bright smile and pretty face contributing largely to her popularity. On the surface she was sweet and kind but she could be petty and shallow and she could spit venom like nobody’s business as Liam had witnessed on more than one occasion. 

Will, on the other hand, was the most laid back guy Liam had ever met. They’d rarely argued over their ten year friendship and when they did, Will was always quick to forgive and forget. Liam hated seeing Will taken advantage of but he’d learned the hard way it was always best to remain quiet about your best friend’s choice of romantic partners. Just as Will had never commented on Liam’s choice of a mate, Liam had done the same, keeping his doubts about Josie and Will’s compatibility to himself.

‘She’ll come around. She’s going to love parading around with you in front of everybody.’

‘I guess we’ll find out.’

Liam put down his fork. ‘Look, I meant to tell you. I know I promised full illumination… two more recruiters are coming to meet with me and my folks this week, one from Syracuse and another from Columbia.’

‘Columbia?’ Will repeated. ‘That means you’d be able to live at home.’

Liam nodded. ‘Yeah. Pros and cons, right?’

‘Sure. But you could save money.’

‘That’s true but Columbia doesn’t have a sports scholarship program… Syracuse does’ Liam replied, looking thoughtful. ‘And I guess I always imagined I’d be going away to college… like Hope did.’

He shook his head as if it hurt to think about it. ‘Anyway, there’s still time to figure things out.’

‘Right’ came Will’s response. He was just glad Liam wasn’t holding out on him. He clasped his hand on his best friend’s shoulder and squeezed. ‘You know Caffrey… any one of those schools would be lucky to have you.’

WCWCWC

The drug Logan had slipped her hit harder than anything she’d ever taken before. By the time they arrived at his place, Ginny could feel herself drifting in and out of reality. He helped her out of the car and practically carried her inside where, to her surprise, his roomie Mateo was waiting for them.

There was food out for them and Logan insisted they eat before settling into the living room for a little private party. Ginny ate without much appetite, Logan hand feeding her the last few bites of her meal.

‘Come on baby girl, you need energy for what I’ve got in mind for us’ he hinted as they finished up.

Mateo tidied up and to Ginny’s surprise, joined the two of them on the couch. She didn’t know him all that well, except for the parties she’d attended at their place but he seemed sweet, his dark eyes curious but definitely quieter than her boisterous boyfriend. 

She was having trouble keeping her mind focussed, her skin felt hot and clammy, her legs unsteady. As they’d done the last two times they’d spent the day together, Logan got them settled on the couch with some raunchy porn playing on the tube. This time they were watching threesomes, two men and an apparently overeager young woman happy to please both of them. 

She wasn’t sure how exactly, but in no time, both men had stripped her of her clothes before removing their own and sitting back in their boxers. They shared a joint, Ginny feeling as if her body was no longer her own. She took a deep breath, watching with amusement as the smoke billowed out of her mouth and she giggled, surprising herself with the sound of her girlish voice. 

‘Why don’t you give Mateo a nice big juicy kiss to thank him for making lunch for us’ Logan suggested to her surprise.

The other man smiled at her, eyes half lidded. He opened his arms to her and she leaned in to kiss him, finding him eager and more forceful than she’d expected. Before she knew it, he had tugged her onto his lap, his breath raspy as he kissed her deep and hard. She glanced over at Logan, checking for his reaction.

‘Go on baby, give Mateo some love’ he coaxed, as he sat back, rubbing himself lazily through his shorts with a contented smile on his face. Images flashed on the TV screen as he encouraged her to play along, mimicking some of the more risqué scenes playing out before their eyes. 

Ginny was feeling disconnected from reality, her body numb as she let herself be coaxed along, her conscious mind checking out from time to time as if she was no longer in control of her own body. Time became fluid as she worked to pleasure both men, no longer questioning what was happening - as if she were a spectator herself.

She wasn’t sure how long it went on for but at some point, she must have blacked out, no longer aware of what was happening around her. She woke with a start as Logan kissed her forehead.

‘Hey, sleepy head’ he murmured lustily. ‘Time to get ready to take you home.’ 

He was back in his clothes and Mateo was nowhere to be seen. She looked down, noticing her clothes had been slipped back on. By whom she wasn’t sure.

‘You did so good today’ Logan whispered in her ear. ‘How about we make a stop on the way back to your place. I’ve got a special treat for you.’

She smiled lazily, coming to her senses. Had she dreamt it all? Or had Mateo just been there? She felt sore and she groaned as she sat up, her muscles tight, her belly aching. 

‘What…’

Logan curled up to her, his head cradled on her chest. ‘You were amazing’ he repeated, mewling. ‘Love you baby.’

She relaxed at the sound of his reassuring words and she smiled, her eyes drifting shut. 

WCWCWC

Neal slipped by the two men who were preparing to manoeuvre a rather large canvas through the main door of the Raphael Gallery. He stepped inside, finding Peter and Cameron standing across the room and he walked over to join them. 

‘Hey!’ Peter called out, happy to see his best friend. ‘You’re just in time for the big delivery.’

‘I see that’ Neal replied with a crooked grin. He rubbed his jaw… damn freezing. ‘Is this the Davenport series?’

‘It is indeed’ Cameron said with pride. ‘Both the Turner and the Cleo galleries tried to lure him over to their place but he insisted he wanted the Raphael.’

‘Good job Cam!’ Neal said with an enthusiastic pat on his future son-in-law’s shoulder. ‘What did you promise him for choosing us?’

Cameron continued grinning widely, like the cat who swallowed the canary. ‘Besides our commitment to doing our best to promote his work, nothing. He said our reputation preceded us. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Hope did most of the talking when we met with him. Men are just putty in her hands.’

The large canvas was carefully carried in and leaned up against the far wall. As always, discovering a new artist got his heart thumping and it took everything he had for Neal not to rush over and rip off the craft paper enveloping the mystery package. 

‘Can’t wait to see it’ he murmured.

‘That’s ‘Sunrise’, his largest piece but there are eleven other smaller ones’ Cam explained as the men returned outside to continue with the delivery. ‘Our regulars will flip when they see this collection.’

Peter gave Neal a discreet wink and returned to his desk which was covered with piles of papers. Neal followed.

‘How are we doing with that new seniors’ class?’ he asked, hands buried deep in his pants’ pockets.

‘It’s a hit. Believe it or not it’s already full’ Peter replied looking rather pleased with himself. ‘We might have to add a second one if this keeps up.’

Neal glanced around the gallery, his eyes gravitating towards the back room where classes were held. ‘Is Hope around? I was hoping to bump into her.’

‘I gave her the afternoon off’ came Cameron’s voice from the other side of the room. 

Neal wagged his eyebrows. ‘Lucky for her she’s on friendly terms with the boss.’

Cameron chuckled and began transporting some of the smaller packages to the back room for unpacking.

‘She’s coming back later. It’s going to be a long night framing all these and getting them set up’ he declared as he swept by the two older men.

‘I have to admit I don’t miss that’ Neal said, turning to Peter. ‘All those late nights, setting up a new exhibit before opening the doors in the morning.’

Peter looked up from his paperwork. ‘They’re young’ he declared, as if that explained everything.

One of the two delivery men approached Peter, handing him a clipboard. ‘There it is, Mr. Burke. Twelve pieces’ he announced.

Peter did a quick count and signed the delivery slip handing it back to the man. ‘Thanks George’ he said, smiling at him. ‘So tell me, how’s that new baby of yours?’

‘You wouldn’t believe it, he’s already leaning to crawl.’

Peter nodded as if impressed at this news. ‘Enjoy it while you can George’ he said. ‘They grow up so fast.’

Neal watched the exchange with interest. There was a time when he’d been on a first name basis with all the trades people the gallery dealt with as well as all their regular customers. Sadly, as his day to day involvement diminished, those days were fading away.

‘Well, take care Mr. Burke’ the man replied with a tip of his ball cap before heading back out.

George and his delivery partner had just slipped out the front when the door opened once again, this time revealing Hope and Sara, carrying packages like they’d just been out Christmas shopping on steroids.

‘Oh, it’s here!’ Hope cried out as she dropped her bags at the door and ran towards the large canvass, ripping off the paper to get a peek at the corner of the large frame.

Neal smiled, amused. Her enthusiasm was so like his own. She was in her element here at the gallery, so appreciative of the great works of art they were privileged to come across and the wonderful artists they got to rub shoulders with. She turned to glance at her uncle, suddenly noticing her dad standing there. As if her head was on a swivel, her attention shifted from the large canvass to Neal and she ran over, throwing her arms around his neck.

‘Daddy!’ she shouted as Sara watched in amusement from the door. ‘I didn’t know you were going to be here.’

‘Neither did I. I decided to surprise you. Besides, I was dying to see this new exhibit.’

Cam’s voice was heard as he returned from the back room. ‘Well, well, well. Look who’s here’ he declared playfully. ‘I thought I gave you the afternoon off.’

‘Mom and I have been shopping and we just stopped in for tea next door’ she explained as she turned her attention from her father to her fiancé. She laced her arms around his waist, letting her head rest against his chest as he placed a kiss on her forehead. 

‘I couldn’t wait to see the new exhibit’ she added with a sigh.

Sara, meanwhile, had moved to stand between her husband and Peter as Neal reached over to give her a peck on the cheek. ‘Don’t tell me she managed to lure you away from your desk. Even I have trouble doing that’ he murmured in her ear.

She examined his face, noticing it drooping on one side. She ran her hand gently down his cheek. ‘How’d it go at the dentist?’

He shrugged. ‘It’s done’ was the best he could say.

Hope and Cam were already at work, unwrapping the newly delivered canvasses while Peter’s attention had returned to the pile of paperwork on his desk. Sara and Neal stared at each other, suddenly feeling out of place. Seemed the Raphael didn’t need either one of them to function like a fine oiled machine.

‘Oh, I almost forgot’ Peter said, glancing up at them. ‘El wants me to invite you guys over for dinner Saturday night.’

Neal got a twinkle in his eye and wagged his eyebrows. ‘No can do’ he replied, bringing his arm to rest around his wife’s waist and tugging her closer. ‘We’ve got plans Saturday.’

Sara frowned. ‘We do?’

‘We do’ he replied with a wink. 

WCWCWC

Once safely home, Ginny drifted in and out of sleep as she shed the remnants of the drugs Logan had slipped her. As she’d gotten into the habit of doing, Diana called at ten after four using the landline to make sure Ginny had come straight home from school. Whatever magic Logan had pulled to get her excused from classes seemed to have done the trick - her mom didn’t seem the wiser. 

Ginny lay out her homework on her desk, a subterfuge for the moment her moms eventually made it home to check on her. She curled up on the bed, blurred memories of her day becoming clearer as the cobwebs faded. Her body felt more relaxed since the full body massage Logan had treated her to on the way home. He’d even sprung for a pedicure which she’d craftily hidden inside the tube socks she’d pulled on.

Having her boyfriend encouraging her to make out with another guy had been totally unexpected. It’d felt strange at first but it was obvious it was a turn-on for Logan. He was so good to her, catering to her every whim, surely she could indulge his kinks in exchange for his continued devotion. He was proving himself to be a very generous boyfriend, thoughtful and caring. Her mind wandered to their most recent conversation, the one they’d had in the car when he’d dropped her off. He’d come into some extra cash he’d explained and he wanted to take her on a holiday for a few days. He hadn’t specified where exactly but the thought of going away with him had her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

He’d promised her a trip she’d never forget, away from the pressures and expectations of her overbearing moms. 

‘Hey sweetie’ came a voice from the door to her room.

‘Hi Mom’ she said, sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes. ‘I was doing homework and I guess I fell asleep.’

Diana stepped in and sat on the edge of her daughter’s bed, running her hand through her hair. ‘You okay? You’re looking a little pale.’

‘Just a bit of a headache’ Ginny replied, avoiding her mom’s scrutiny. 

‘Well, Mama and I are really impressed with how well you’ve taken your punishment’ Diana said with a smile. ‘You haven’t complained once and you’ve come straight home from school every day this week. Keep this up and we’ll see about giving you back your phone.’

Ginny smiled innocently. 

‘I know this has been hard on you honey…’ she added, kissing her daughter’s forehead, ‘But we love you and we want what’s best for you.’

She got to her feet. ‘Now get up, dinner’s almost ready.’

WCWCWC

Logan sat by the phone, pen in hand. 

‘We’ll be on the eleven o’clock flight which should get us there around 2:15.’

‘Should I meet you at the airport?’ the woman on the other end asked.

‘No, I’ll take her over by cab. Try to ease her into it. But I need you there when we arrive so we can make a quick transition. I’m booking a four o’clock flight back.’

‘No problem. I’ve got a room ready for her. Just make sure she doesn’t have a phone and I’ll take care of the rest. Do you anticipate any problems getting her to leave a note?’

‘Naw, she’s pretty excited about going away and her parents have grounded her so she’s sufficiently pissed off at them.’

‘Just follow the script’ the woman warned. 'And I’ll take care of things at this end.’

Logan nodded. ‘I know the drill.’

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

The office building in New Rochelle looked exactly as she remembered it. It was innocuous enough, a small three story medical building in a newly renovated section of downtown but sadly, the mere sight of it dredged up many conflicting emotions. Although visits to Marion Birch’s office had always been beneficial for both herself and for Neal, the reasons that had brought them there in the first place were still very painful to recall.

Neal had happened upon the woman’s name when he’d researched therapists following Sara’s traumatic experience at the hands of the two foreign operatives who had used her as a bargaining chip to secure top secret government information. Looking back now, the whole episode read like something out of a spy novel although it had begun innocently enough with Neal coming to the aid of a woman who was being attacked on a street corner in the Chelsea Art District on a chilly fall evening almost three years before. 

Sara had spent twenty-four hours at the hands of her abductors, two North Korean men who’d been convinced Neal had the information they wanted. Getting her back safe and sound had been a huge relief but had turned out to be just the beginning of a tortuous and lengthy road to recovery for the ballsy insurance investigator. She’d been badly beaten and as the effects of the drugs with which they’d injected her had begun to fade, troubling memories of sexual abuse at the hands of her kidnappers had begun to emerge, making the road to healing even more painful and arduous. 

She recalled the first time Neal had dragged her kicking and screaming to Marion Birch’s office. Being the independent, self-sufficient woman she was, she’d been determined to make it through this latest trauma all by her lonesome. But it had become increasingly obvious that this time, events had conspired to keep her from fully healing and returning to her previous life without help.

She sighed as she paid the cab driver and stepped onto the sidewalk. Taking a deep breath, she entered the all-too-familiar building and climbed up the flight of stairs to the second floor. Within minutes, she was sitting across the warm smile of a woman she’d come to admire - and count on.

‘Thanks for seeing me on such short notice’ she said as she took a seat on what looked to her to be a new sofa.

‘I like what you’ve done with the place’ she added with a nervous titter.

Marion busied herself pouring some water into two glasses. ‘It was time for a little redecorating’ she admitted. ‘Anyway, it’s been well over a year… I can’t believe I haven’t seen you in all that time. For people in my business, that’s always a good sign.’

Sara smiled but kept fiddling with her purse, finally setting it down by her feet.

‘You know you’re safe here Sara. Whatever’s on your mind… I’m here to listen.’

Sara chuckled nervously. ‘Well… if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few years, it’s to reach out for help when I need it.’

‘That’s a good thing… How’s Neal doing?’

‘He’s good. Really busy with the school and still involved with the gallery. He’s… managed to stay on track’ she said cryptically.

Marion had been instrumental in setting up an intervention when Neal’s drinking had spiralled out of control; she could certainly read between the lines. 

‘And your daughter, how is she doing?’

Sara smiled, a little more relaxed this time. ‘She’s doing really well. She works full time at the gallery and she’s still working through some… stuff… you know, fallout from the accident. She had a procedure on her ear last week but she’s recovering well.’

Marion nodded. ‘I’m glad for all of you. So, what’s brought you here today?’

‘The court date… it’s next Tuesday.’

Marion sat through the awkward silence, letting Sara find her words. 

‘Things have been good with me… with us for a long time now’ she said, referring to hers and Neal’s long journey back to the way things had been before her attack.

‘That’s great. Am I sensing a ‘but’?’

‘But… getting ready to go to court, it’s brought all those memories back. I’ve been feeling… uneasy.’

‘That’s hardly surprising Sara. You went through a very traumatic experience.’

‘He’s going to be there. In the courtroom’ she said, cutting to the chase. ‘And I don’t know how either one of us will manage with him staring back at us.’

‘What is it you’re worried about?’

‘Just… his piercing eyes, looking back at me, trying to intimidate me. And Neal… what if he loses it? For years now, he’s had visions of beating him to a pulp…’

‘That doesn’t sound like the Neal I know.’

‘That’s just it… with Neal, it’s all under the surface.’

‘What exactly is involved with this court proceeding?’

‘I have to sit before a judge and more or less, recite the events of that day. I’ve already submitted written testimony telling exactly what happened. But I’m afraid of tripping up and having the judge challenge what I’m saying.’

‘You’re not on trial here Sara, he is.’

‘That’s what my lawyer says. Plus there was plenty of physical evidence and apparently, the son of a bitch isn’t mounting much of a defence but things need to go on record so…’

Marion smiled at the use of profanity - a mark of Sara’s fighting spirit. ‘First off, I want you to remember that what you’re doing takes a lot of courage. I know you’ve wanted to see this through as part of your healing process. So you need to focus on that and I promise you you’ll get through this just like you made it through everything else. What does Neal say about all this?’

‘To be honest, we haven’t talked much about it’ Sara admitted sheepishly.

‘You mean you haven’t been totally honest about how you’re feeling.’ 

Sara shrugged. ‘That’s not fair’ she said with a nervous giggle. ‘You know the two of us too well.’

‘Sara, this is no time to play the fearless card. Neal and your family… they’re your main source of support and you need to be honest about how you’re feeling so they can be there for you.’

‘I don’t want my kids there’ Sara said bluntly.

‘Okay… Are you telling me or asking me?’

There was a slight hesitation before Sara spoke. ‘Telling. They both know I was beaten and abused but… they don’t know the details about what he did to me.’

Suddenly, emotions began bubbling to the surface, her throat growing tight, her voice becoming shaky.

‘Sara, that’s entirely your decision… but your kids love you and they’re both young adults now.’

‘That’s the point. They’re both in stable, loving relationships. They saw what this did to me and their dad, how it took months and months for us to get back to where we were, how I was afraid of the dark, how, for the longest time, I would pull away whenever Neal touched me. Why should I put them through these… horrible images of me at the mercy of that… that fucking asshole?’

Marion leaned in and touched Sara’s hand. ‘Whether your kids are there or not is up to you. I’ll just say this. By shutting them out, you’re leaving things up to their imagination… did you ever consider the possibility that what they’re imagining is even worse than what really transpired? The important thing is that they’ve watched you and Neal come back from this. Bottom line, you need to make sure you have all the support you need because… well, I hate to break it to you but bringing this out into the open is going to cause some aftershocks and it’ll take you some time to completely shake it off.’

‘I’ve decided to ask Peter and Elizabeth to be there - as much for Neal’s sake as my own. Peter is Neal’s best friend and…’

Marion remembered all too well the family dynamics and what great friends the Burkes had been to the Caffreys as they navigated life’s ups and downs. 

‘I think that’s a great idea. I’m sure Neal is worried about you and he’s going need some support too. But I know the two of you pretty well, Sara. You have a tendency to protect each other from unpleasant things. Just make sure you don’t shut Neal out just because you don’t want to upset him. He’s already upset and helping you through this phase is important to him too. Don’t deprive him of that because you won’t just be hurting yourself, you’ll be hurting him too.’

Sara nodded. She hadn’t been sure what had drawn her back to Marion but now, hearing those words, she realized why she’d come. 

WCWCWC

Neal sat across the table from his son in their suburban kitchen, looking over the brochures from the two universities which had come knocking on their door over the past week. Columbia had a great business program but for better or for worse, it was very close to home. The recruiter from Syracuse, a woman named Nadine Calhoun, had really given them the hard sell. Syracuse was a Division 1 school, the elitist of the elite, an opportunity for Liam to play for a top of the line team. It was also a few hours drive from White Plains, just enough to give him some independence while being close enough for regular visits to the old homestead. 

‘So what do you think?’

‘I really liked her presentation’ Liam said, pointing to the glitzy folder of promotional information from Syracuse.

‘They really want you, that’s obvious’ Neal said with more than a touch of pride.

‘I’ve still got time to decide, right Dad?’ Liam asked, sounding nervous.

Neal clasped his son’s shoulder and squeezed. ‘Of course you do, buddy. We’ve got at least two more visits scheduled before basketball season ends.’

Liam nodded and sighed loudly. 

‘And if you want, we can go visit the campuses, see how you feel.’

Liam remained silent, dumbstruck.

‘Liam, there’s no wrong answer here. Any one of these universities will give you an excellent education. It’s up to you where you want to go, the world is your oyster.’

‘Did someone say oysters?’ came Sara’s voice as she appeared behind them. ‘That sounds yummy.’

Neal looked up. He’d been biding his time while she finished getting dressed and now he could see the wait had been well worth it. She was wearing a classic off the shoulder little black dress that fell just above the knee, with a plunging neckline and a tucked in waist accentuating her trim silhouette. Her hair was swept back in a loose chignon resting on her neck and giving her a sophisticated look while bringing out that glint of hazel in her eyes.

‘Wow! You look amazing!’ Neal said, getting to his feet.

Liam grinned as he watched his father morph from ‘supportive dad’ to ‘adoring husband’. 

‘You did say dress up’ Sara said with a provocative eyebrow wag.

Neal’s slipped his arm around her waist as he kissed her cheek. ‘You are in for an amazing evening Mrs. Caffrey’ he murmured in her ear.

‘Where are we going?’ she asked for the umpteenth time. Neal had been keeping his anniversary plans under wraps for weeks now and she still hadn’t gotten him to open up about where he was taking her. One thing was for sure, a night out with her sexy husband was never a disappointment. 

His lips wandered to her neck and along her shoulder as she giggled. ‘You just get in the car and let me worry about where we’re going.’

She shook her head in exasperation. ‘See honey’ she said, turning to her son. ‘You need to have complete trust in a relationship if you want it to be successful.’

Neal grinned widely, pleased with himself.

‘Don’t stay out too late you two’ Liam called out after them.

WCWCWC

Maybe she should have been relieved but the truth was Caitlin was more than a little perturbed when she noticed Ginny was absent from the weekly party at Logan Parrish’s house. Had they broken up? Had Ginny finally seen the light? A girl could hope but somehow she had an uneasy feeling as she watched Logan chatting up some of the young girls who were in attendance. Whatever was brewing with Ginny Berrigan seemed still very much in play.

As always, the charismatic young man was flirty but not overly so, just enough to reel in those young innocent girls he seemed to favour. The memory of the young girl who’d vanished the year before crossed her mind and Caitlin was unable to shake the feeling that Logan was somehow involved in her disappearance. Sadly, all she had to go on was her intuition - which was no small thing, just nothing solid enough with which to go to the police. 

She passed on the joint someone placed in front of her nose, deciding to sip her ginger ale and stay clear minded and alert. If something was up with this guy, she would be no match for his wiles if she was shitfaced. She settled in to watch the developments, her mind in overdrive.

WCWCWC

‘Don’t you ever get tired of picking the perfect places?’ Sara asked as they finished up their main meal.

Neal sat back, enjoying her reaction. ‘I like to keep you guessing.’

She glanced around the place, an intimate new dining and dancing spot she’d never heard of, located not terribly far from the offices of Sterling Bosch.

‘How did I not even know this place existed?’ she asked.

Neal lifted his index finger. ‘Because number one… you’re a very busy working mom’ he said before lifting a second finger, ‘and number two… because it only opened about three months ago.’

She smiled back, pleased with his choice. Even the restaurant’s name, Bella Luna had stars dancing in her eyes. ‘Well, the food here is amazing…’

She was interrupted by the tuxedo clad waiter returning with a tray carrying coffee and a baba au rum for Neal and lemon tart for herself. He placed a small bowl of chocolate covered strawberries on the table between them.

‘I hope you’re planning on staying for some dancing’ the man said to Neal. ‘We have a wonderful quartet taking the stage in about an hour.’

Neal reached for his wife’s hand. ‘We wouldn’t miss it. I’m celebrating twenty-two years of blissful marriage to this beautiful woman.’

The man glanced over at Sara, duly impressed. ‘If you don’t mind my saying sir, it appears you married up’ he said with a naughty grin — as if he’d been coached to say so.

‘Damn right’ Neal said as he brought his lips to rest Sara’s knuckles. The server nodded and stepped away — mission accomplished.

‘All right Caffrey, how much did you slip him to come up with that corny line.’

Neal stared back, looking glib yet admitting nothing. He was just pleased as punch to see his wife beaming back at him. She’d been on the prickly side for the past few days as she prepared for her court appearance and he was pleased to be giving her a little reprieve from all that angst.

‘It’s nice to see you smile.’

‘How could I not’ she replied, glancing around the luxury restaurant. ‘You always treat me like a queen.’

‘That’s ‘cause I live to make you happy Repo.’

She was unable to hold back an amused chuckle. ‘Wow, you’re really pulling out all the stops tonight, aren’t you?’

Neal’s face grew serious as he shrugged. ‘I’ve been worried about you lately.’

Sara smiled back at him, a forced smile this time. ‘It’ll all be over in a couple of days.’

There was an awkward silence before she spoke again. ‘I paid Marion a visit yesterday.’

Neal’s eyes grew in surprise. If Sara had taken the time to make an appointment with their beloved therapist, she was no doubt more anxious than he’d realized.

‘How did it go?’

‘You know Marion… she’s always good for a reality check’ she admitted. ‘She suggested I come clean to you about how stressed I’ve been feeling.’

‘Babe, I hate to break it to you but you haven’t been hiding it as well as you might think.’

Sara scoffed. ‘Truth is I’m… I’m worried about you too.’

‘Me?’

‘Yeah, I know that just the thought of what happened makes your blood boil. I hate that you have to listen to the whole sordid tale all over again.’

‘I’m fine’ Neal said, squeezing her hand. ‘No need to worry about me.’

Her face hardened as she spoke. ‘The bastard came close to ruining our lives and I hate him for it.’

‘So do I’ Neal replied, his voice surprisingly calm. ‘But he didn’t. And we sure as hell don’t want to give him any leverage now.’

Sara felt her heart rate accelerating at the thought of her attacker. 

‘Babe, you’ve done nothing wrong’ Neal said, his voice full of emotion. ‘I want you to go up there, take a deep breath and tell them what happened as if you were telling them something that happened to somebody else.’

Her eyes narrowed. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Just don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing you upset. Guys like that, they traffic in fear and intimidation. Just… keep your eyes on me and tell the judge what happened.’

She listened, her heart rate beginning to slow at the sound of her husband’s velvety voice.

‘Or am I asking too much?’ he added, seeing the concern in her eyes.

‘No… No, I don’t want to give him the satisfaction either but part of me wants to stare him right in the eye, let him see he didn’t succeed in destroying me.’

Neal felt a lump forming in his throat. Things could have turned out much differently if it hadn’t been for Sara’s fighting spirit and the support of Marion Birch. With time, his beautiful wife had come back to him and he was eternally grateful for that.

‘You know I don’t tell you often enough…’ he began, his voice shaky. ‘… you’re amazing. Do you know that I get all my strength from you?’

‘That’s not true. You’ve been there for me every step of the way.’

Neal’s gaze faltered, his eyes moving to stare down at his hands. ‘We both know I’ve let you down’ he said, recalling how his infatuation with whisky had momentarily kept him away at a crucial point in Sara’s long journey.

‘Don’t say that… Neal, you’ve never let me down’ she replied emphatically. ‘You were going through some serious shit and I’ve forgiven you for that… short lapse. Truth is… you’re my rock Caffrey, I could never have gotten through any of it without you.’ 

He nodded. All those hours of therapy, working through his shame at having let her down… he had to remind himself that guilt did nothing to move things along.

He seemed to get the upper hand on his emotions. ‘One thing’s for sure. You can count on me to be there for anything you need. I can be whatever you need me to be.’

She shook her head. ‘Oh Caffrey, you already are.’

WCWCWC

The party was in full swing as booze and drugs played their all important role in social lubrication. There was laughter and music and spontaneous make out sessions as party goers let loose. It felt strange to be stone cold sober at a party but Caitlin persevered, determined to see what she could find out about this guy who, she was now convinced, was preying on young Virginia Berrigan. She tried to keep her eyes on him while she socialized with some of the regulars, watching as he worked the room. A couple of new girls had appeared and Caitlin couldn’t help but notice how Logan spent most of his time with them, bringing them drinks, dope and whatever else he had in his arsenal. One of the two girls was barely functioning, beyond falling down drunk and he sat with her, whispering in her ear as she giggled.

Caitlin was tempted to take some pictures, maybe share them with Ginny but she knew how that would play out. The teen was beyond help at this point, so enamoured with this guy that she wouldn’t believe anything negative Caitlin might say about him.

The small two storey house was overflowing with people, some sitting on the stairs leading up to the second floor and Caitlin made her way upstairs to see what she could find. Young people filled the hallway, chatting as they drank and smoked. The bathroom was located at the end of the hall and Caitlin made her way there, closing the door behind her before rummaging through the medicine cabinet. Nothing much there — just the usual Advil and cold remedies as well as basic first aid supplies. As she stepped out, she took a quick right past a closed door and into a quiet bedroom - obviously out of bounds for the partygoers. She noticed a photograph on a night table, Logan with his arm around the shoulder of an older woman, perhaps his mom. 

Her hands shook as she began to rummage through the night stand, finding a stash of pot and pills as well as a crack pipe and other drug paraphernalia, an open box of condoms and assorted magazines. She felt her heart thump in her chest at the realization of what she was doing - not that Caitlin Somersby had never rooted through someone’s private belongings. Of course she had. But her motives had always been self serving whereas now, someone else’s wellbeing was in her quaking hands. She moved to the dresser, pushing aside underwear and socks on her quest for God knows what. She came upon something of interest in the third drawer, an envelope commonly used to hold airline tickets. Her trembling hands had just reached for the flap, eager to peek inside when she heard the unexpected jiggle of the door handle. 

She gasped, throwing the envelope back in the drawer and slamming it shut before glancing around the room looking for cover. At the last minute, she dove to the floor, taking refuge on the far side of the bed and rolling her body into a tight ball.

Then she heard the door open.

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

‘Your turn!’ Olivia Berrigan said with a friendly poke to her sister’s arm.

Ginny looked up, snapping out of her reverie. Both her moms and her sister were staring back at her. She’d been having trouble concentrating even though she’d been given the ultimate choice of board games and had picked her current favourite, Scattergories. Truth be told, her heart wasn’t really in it. Her moms had made a big deal of having family night, ordering in Chinese and stocking the shelves with their daughters’ favourite junk food. For the first time in weeks, they were all home on a Saturday night as Ginny finished purging her ‘sentence’ and Diana and Christie had wanted to take full advantage of having the family all together for a change. 

Ginny had been watching the clock incessantly, waiting for eleven o’clock to roll around so she could make up some excuse and retire to her room. Logan had promised to call and check in on her and right now, nothing else mattered. She’d been grounded for almost a week and except for the day Logan had whisked her over to his place for fun and games, she’d seen nothing but the inside of White Plains High and the four walls of her bedroom. She was fit to be tied. 

But Logan had urged her to play along, to be a good girl, to keep her parents off guard as they planned their upcoming getaway, a welcome escape from the humdrum routine of everyday life. He’d been short on details except to say that he was sure she’d love the destination he’d picked, that she should plan to be away for a couple of nights. Of course, there would be hell to pay when she came back but for now, he’d urged her to keep the upcoming trip to herself. No sharing with friends or her sister; this little secret was just for them.

Ginny could barely wait to get away and frankly, over the past few days, she hadn’t been able to keep her mind on anything else. She’d almost spilled the beans on more than one occasion - after all, what good was such exciting news if you couldn’t share it with those closest to you. But Logan had managed to convince her that any leaks might bring their little getaway to a premature end before it even got started. Better to keep this little secret between the two of them lest it be discovered by her parents. 

‘Honey, you sure you’re all right?’ Christie asked, running her hand through Ginny’s hair.

‘I’m just tired’ she murmured - her go to response for every occasion it seemed.

‘Why are you tired?’ Diana teased with a grin. ‘Except for school, you haven’t left the house in almost a week.’

Her wife gave her a disapproving glare. ‘I hope you’re not coming down with something.’

Olivia looked suspiciously between her moms and her sister. Ginny was usually a firecracker, full of energy, always up for a good time. Lately, she’d been uncharacteristically quiet and anything but forthcoming when pressed for details about her love life. Maybe she’d broken up with that mystery guy she’d been seeing.

‘You know you did a good job this week, sticking to the rules’ Diana said. ‘Starting on Monday, you can have your phone back.’

Ginny shrugged. She didn’t really care about her phone. Being with her friends didn’t have the same appeal it had just weeks ago. The only person she needed to stay connected to was Logan and for that, she had a direct line to him that no one suspected. 

‘I think I’ll go lie down if that’s okay’ she said, looking sullen.

‘Oh honey, you’ve hardly had anything to eat’ Christie said, holding up a brimming bowl of caramel corn, one of her daughter’s favourite snack foods.

‘Maybe I’ll have some tomorrow’ Ginny replied soberly as she stood.

She dutifully kissed both her moms on the cheek and dragged herself down the hall to her bedroom while the three women watched her walk away. 

Diana was about to follow when Christie placed her hand on her arm.

‘Let her be honey’ she advised her wife.

WCWCWC

Caitlin felt the rug burn along her cheek and bit her tongue to keep from moaning in pain. She’d landed face down on the floor on the far side of the room, her cheek screaming in pain as she stared out at a pair of sneakers from underneath the bed. They were red, Logan’s signature shoes. 

She lay perfectly still, convinced he could hear her breathing despite the music emanating from downstairs. A quick glance confirmed the door to the room had been left open and she could hear voices in the hallway not too far away, indecipherable conversations in the not too far distance.   
Logan remained standing by the other side of the bed and she heard the sound of a drawer opening and closing. From underneath the bed, she saw the mattress sag as he sat and she let out a soft gasp, instantly biting her lip in an effort to remain quiet. She heard some cursory noises and the unmistakeable sound of Logan sniffing loudly - an unmistakeable sound she was all too familiar with. He let out a loud sigh of satisfaction and then she heard the clicking of a phone as she briefly weighed her options. Was she was more at risk of being found out if she just lay there or should she try escaping through the open door? 

‘Hey babe’ she heard him say.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest — so loud she was convinced he could hear. The mattress creaked once more as he settled back on the bed.

‘I know… I miss you too. Party’s not the same without you’ he said, his voice sultry and soft.

‘Just a few more days’ he said.

Was he talking to Ginny? And what was in a few more days?

‘You can do it, I know you can… Oh yeah?… Well, I wish you were here too.’

Again, Caitlin silently evaluated the odds of slipping out of the bedroom unseen. Unless he came around to the other side of the bed, she would be safe if she just remained motionless for a little bit longer. 

Another creak as Logan ostensibly sat up on the bed. ‘Look, I gotta go but I’ll call you tomorrow okay? Love you lots’ he said before finally hanging up.

All right now leave!! Caitlin pleaded silently as she heard further clicking of the phone. 

Seemed Logan wasn’t yet done with whatever he’d come into the room to do. ‘Yeah, I just talked to her. All systems go… No, she’s keener than ever… I’m sure she doesn’t suspect a thing… Yeah, I’ll call when we get there.’

He’d just finished talking when Caitlin spied a second pair of shoes appearing in the doorway. A pair of small feet in strapped heels, the owner’s gait rather unsteady.

‘L-L-Logan?’ came a young female voice, slurring.

‘Hey baby’ he replied. ‘Don’t be shy… come on in.'

The feet teetered away from the door and towards the bed as Caitlin watched in terror. She needed to get out of there before she was found out.

Logan’s red sneakers appeared on the floor, feet wide apart as the scrappy sandals took a few more tentative steps, landing between his size eleven feet. Suddenly, a soft gasp and another loud creak of the mattress as all four feet disappeared off the floor. The young girl giggled nervously.

‘Hey baby, I have something special for you’ came Logan’s voice, languorous and soft as Caitlin felt the bed droop once more.

The sound of soft moaning and clothes rustling was heard as Caitlin weighed her options. Did she really want to lie there listening in as Logan romanced another one of his marks? She made the impulsive decision to get the hell out, urging her body to move before she had time to second guess herself. With her eyes glued firmly on the open door, she slithered towards it, her belly flat on the cold floor as the soft sound of her movements was muffled by girlish giggling and the continued soft bounce of the mattress. 

Holding her breath, she managed to crawl the few feet to the door and out into the safety of the hallway, making a quick move towards the thankfully empty bathroom which was kitty corner to the bedroom door. She’d just gotten to her feet and closed the bathroom door when she heard footsteps and the sound of the bedroom door slamming behind her.

WCWCWC

There were plenty of great eateries in the greater New York area and a fair number of decent places for drinks and dancing. But Neal had managed to find that rare combination. Bella Luna was just such a place, a restaurant that offered amazing food as well as great music and an intimate dance floor to sway the night away. 

By ten o’clock, the jazz quartet had taken over the small stage and was belting out a number of bluesy, laid back numbers for the diners’ enjoyment. The place was quiet, mostly the dozen or so couples who had been there to enjoy dinner although a few artsy types had shown up for drinks and late evening entertainment once the group had set up.

The place was reminiscent of those old fashioned clandestine speakeasies from the thirties, an anonymous hole in the wall where only those few in the know were privileged to enjoy great music and libations away from the prying eyes of the law. The mood was mellow, laid back, exactly what Sara needed to keep her mind off her upcoming visit to court, thoughts of which seemed to constantly be hovering in the back of her mind. Their little chat over dinner had brought some relief - reassurance that Neal was hanging in there and that he was with her every step of the way. For now, she was more than happy to let it go, to soak in the atmosphere and to enjoy some quality time alone with her husband.

‘They’re good’ she commented as she sipped on her after dinner drink of Frangelico. 

Neal nodded, his eyes fixed on hers in that starry-eyed way he had of gazing at his beautiful wife. A half smile appeared on his lips.

Sara frowned. ‘What?’

‘Nothing… You. You look… amazing’ he replied with a broader smile.

She chuckled and shook her head. 

‘What? A man can’t tell his wife she looks beautiful?’

‘It’s the way you say it’ she replied, visibly amused. ‘Like… there aren’t plenty of more beautiful, younger women all over New York.’

‘What are you talking about? What other women? When I look at you, it’s… it’s like reliving the last twenty-two years of our amazing lives together. That’s the kind of beauty I could never find in anyone else’s eyes.’

‘Caffrey…’ she said with a satisfied sigh. ‘You are so full of…’ 

She stopped suddenly. Why ruin the moment with an acerbic comeback? He was right. Nothing could measure up to their history after so many years shared - the ups, the downs, the profound connection, the unique memories, the intimacy. She studied him up and down. He wore a button down poplin shirt in a pale shade of blue with dress pants and a casual jacket that completed the look - relaxed yet dressy. No tie tonight. She reflected on the fact that, except for the greying at his temples, he looked much as he had when they’d first met, the same naughty smile, the same riveting blue eyes, the same breathtaking good looks.

‘Well, you look pretty amazing too’ she settled on saying, reining in her previous smart-alecky comment.

Neal gave a head nod in the direction of the small dance floor. One lone couple was already taking advantage of the sultry sounds of the saxophone resonating in the small space. 

‘What do you say Mrs. C?’ he asked, putting out his hand. ‘Shall we show them how it’s done?’ 

She rose, slipping her hand in his as he laced one arm around her waist and tucked her hand protectively against his chest with the other. Being in Neal’s arms was the perfect antidote for almost anything that was gnawing at Sara and on this, their special night, his warm embrace was just what the doctor ordered. Gone was the anxiety related to the upcoming trial, the tightness that had been in her chest just hours earlier, the nagging worries about current cases at the office and all other pesky annoyances related to everyday life. When he held her like this, his warm breath on her neck, his strong hand splayed across her back, the familiar scent of his aftershave lingering in the air, nothing else mattered.

The quartet played lazy bluesy jazz, the kind of music you could just let yourself melt into, the perfect vehicle for relaxing in each others’ arms. They’d been swaying for a while when a woman who reminded Sara of a younger June came to the microphone. Although most of the group’s repertoire was instrumental, highlighting the sensual sound of the saxophone and the melodic riffs of the bass, she’d added vocals on a couple of numbers. 

‘We have a special request’ she announced. ‘A couple celebrating their wedding anniversary.’ Sara stepped back to look into her husband’s eyes, questioning him silently.

He shrugged and grinned. ‘It wouldn’t be our special night if we didn’t get to dance to our song’ he said, confirming her suspicions.

The woman’s rendition of the Al Green song was mellower, more languid than the original. She was in no rush, stretching out each and every syllable as the bass added depth to the familiar song. Neal let his lips linger on his wife’s neck as he murmured the lyrics. Sara felt herself melt, her eyes drifting shut as she let his touch and the sound of his voice wash over her like a sumptuous wave. She felt a shiver - the good kind - as a moan escaped her lips. She felt Neal lips curling in a smile against her neck as he reacted to the flutter. Dammit! He still could do it to her with just the warmth of his touch and the velvety sound of his voice.

‘Happy anniversary Repo’ he murmured as the song came to an end. She just sighed, letting her hand reach up into his hair and tugging, shorthand for I can’t wait to get my hands on you away from all these prying eyes.

He grinned naughtily in reply.

WCWCWC

‘My dad said we could take a drive upstate and visit the campus’ Liam said as he and Cody lay on the couch at the Miller place watching a movie.

‘That’s a great idea.’

‘The recruiter was really nice… I got a good vibe off of her.’

Cody looked away from the TV, where he’d been trying his best to concentrate on the plot. ‘Good vibes are good’ he said absentmindedly. 

‘And the Orange are having an amazing season.’

‘Babe…’ Cody said with a sigh, pointing to the television.

‘Sorry’ Liam replied. His mind continued to wander. He had but a few months to make up his mind and he was feeling increased pressure to make a decision. Cody had always been his sounding board, the voice of reason whenever emotions got the best of him.

‘Of course, I have no idea what the guys on the team are like’ he continued, unable to keep his mind from churning. ‘They could be a bunch of homophobic assholes for all I know…’

Cody sighed and looked away from the TV, exasperated. He was about to chastise his boyfriend for the constant interruptions when he caught sight of the worried look on Liam’s face. His heart melted and he reached for the remote, turning off the movie without a further thought.

‘You want to go for a walk?’ he asked, reaching for Liam’s hand.

Liam smiled, relieved. ‘Yeah, that’d be nice.’

WCWCWC

Ginny sat on the edge of her bed, her secret phone in one hand and a stuffed toy in the other. It was silly, really. Half child, half woman, waiting for the man she loved to call while cradling a relic from her childhood. The stuffed lemur had been purchased over ten years earlier when she was a mere toddler, visiting the Bronx Zoo with her parents and older sister. It stared back as her with its glowing eyes, taunting her as if warning her she was in way over her head. She tucked him under her arm to avoid his glare and stared at the phone. It was almost eleven o’clock and still, not a word from Logan.

Saturday nights were party night over at Logan and Mateo’s place and she knew the house would be overflowing with partygoers. But he’d promised to call and thus far, the young man had always been true to his word. She let herself fall back on her bed, the phone nestled against her chest as she thought of the days ahead.

Logan had promised her a romantic getaway but he’d refused to tell her where they were going. It was far enough to be an overnighter, that much she knew but whether they were going by car, train or plane was still a mystery. She’d all but nodded off with thoughts of their exciting escapade when the phone vibrated in her hand.

‘Logan?’ she whispered into the phone.

‘I miss you so much… I wish I could be there with you… I know, I know… it just feels like forever.’

She listened to his soft, reassuring voice. ‘I don’t know if I can hang on for a few more days’ she said with a pout. ‘I just miss you so much.’

‘You’re right… I just can’t wait to be with you again.’

‘You promise?’ she asked as he reminded her that he’d call her tomorrow.

‘I love you too’ she added before hanging up.

She turned over onto her side, slipping the phone under her pillow and bringing the stuffed animal to look into her eyes.

‘You don’t get to judge me’ she told it. ‘I love him.’

She brought the soft furry animal up against her chest, cradling it as she let thoughts of Logan lull her off to sleep.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

They found the note pinned to their bedroom door when they finally returned from their night out at Bella Luna. Not on the kitchen table or stuck to the screen of Neal’s laptop where the kids tended to leave messages for him but on their bloody bedroom door where it was impossible for them to miss it. 

‘Need to talk to you. Urgent!!! C’ it read.

‘Wonder what’s up with Caitlin’ Neal mused.

Despite the urgency of her message, when he peeked into his foster daughter’s bedroom, he found her sound asleep with Raffie curled up beside her, both of them looking like they didn’t have a care in the world.

‘Well, whatever it is, it didn’t keep her from nodding off’ he commented as he joined his wife in their bedroom.

Sara sat on the edge of the bed, slipping off her shoes with a painful moan. Neal grinned. Why did women insist on wearing those horribly uncomfortable heels? Not that he didn’t enjoy the sight of Sara’s long lean legs in those things.

‘Sore?’ he asked as he joined her on the bed. She let herself fall back with a groan as he reached out and, unprompted, began massaging the insoles of her tired feet. 

Sara’s eyes fluttered shut as she enjoyed the feel of his strong, expert hands on her aching toes. He really did give the best foot rubs. It had been a wonderful evening but despite her intentions of capping off the night with a little hanky panky, she was totally done in. Gone was any notion of an anniversary romp in the sheets; all she wanted to do was curl up into a little ball and sleep uninterrupted for the next twelve hours.

‘I don’t remember the last time we danced the night away like that’ she murmured, already half asleep. ‘I am totally wiped.’

He let himself fall alongside her, turning towards her and wrapping his arms around her waist. ‘You’re not calling it a night, are you Repo?’ he whined, tucking his face into the curve of her neck and nipping at her ear.

She groaned. ‘Awww honey… rain check?’

He let out a disappointed groan of his own. ‘I could do all the work…’ he attempted with a playful pout. ‘All you have to do is lie there and nod from time to time. Come to think of it, you don’t even have to nod.’

She lifted her head to glare at him; the look on her face told him everything he needed to know. 

‘Fine’ he said, resigned to the fact hot anniversary sex wasn’t in his immediate future. ‘Rain check.’

She ran her hand down his cheek and gave a couple of playful taps. ‘Good husband’ she murmured. 

She forced herself to stand, turning away from him and Neal took the hint, reaching over to unzip her dress and watching as it pooled at her feet. He stared down at it wistfully and checked out her luscious curves. The dress looked even better on the floor. He snapped out of it, moving towards his dresser and pulling out some sleep pants. 

‘So how would you rate this one?’ he asked. ‘Out of the other twenty-one?’

Sara chuckled. ‘Well, I can think of a couple of anniversaries that weren't quite as pleasant as this one.’

Neal began to undress. ‘Such as?’

‘Well, there was the year Hope fell down the stairs at the Burkes and we ended up leaving an amazing meal on the table at Babbo and finishing up the night in the emergency room.’

Neal grinned as he recalled that night almost twenty years earlier. ‘Oh and what about the night I made you that almond torte and we came home and found Raffie snoring next to the empty plate on the floor.’

‘Yeah, that’s right up there with the best of them’ she admitted with an amused grin. 

‘What about highlights?’ Neal asked as he walked over to the closet to hang up her dress. ‘Any favourites?’

Sara seemed to think for a moment as she continued to change into her sleep gear. ‘There was the year we went back to Maine for our tenth anniversary. That was nice…remember?’

Neal rolled his eyes. ‘Remember? How could I forget? It was nice… until you got involved in the neighbours’ domestic problems and almost got yourself killed.’

‘Hyperbolize much Caffrey?’ Sara replied with a head shake. ‘Then there was the year you got us those ballroom dance lessons, that was fun… oh and the year you got shot…’ she added with a tinge of emotion. ‘You were still struggling to get back on your feet and still you managed to surprise me by waltzing me around the dining room.’ 

Neal turned to face her, slipping his arms around her and letting them settle on her hips. ‘Yeah… that was definitely a memorable year.’

Sara sighed loudly. ‘Twenty-two years… twenty-two anniversaries, all of them special in their own way.’

He kissed her softly and she purred. ‘They’re all memorable babe… because we spent every single one of them together’ he murmured.

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. ‘Do you think… maybe you could finish up with that foot massage?’

WCWCWC

The windshield wipers swept back and forth in a desperate attempt to keep up with the pounding rain. Inside the car, Caitlin sat in the passenger seat, gesticulating wildly as she recounted the tale of what had happened the night before.

‘Slow down, slow down’ Neal said as he squinted to see the road through the hazy windshield. ‘You’re not making any sense.’

She took a deep breath. ‘Like I said, I wanted to keep an eye on this Logan guy so I abstained from… you know, partying.’

He frowned, disbelieving. ‘You’re telling me you went to a party and you didn’t have anything to drink?’

‘Why does that surprise you so much? Frankly Mr. C, partying isn’t the only thing on my mind you know.’

He bit his tongue to keep from making a wisecrack as she carried on. 

‘Ginny has been going to his parties for weeks now but she wasn’t there last night so I got suspicious. I wanted to see if he would try it on with some of the other girls.’

Neal nodded as he grimaced. It was really coming down out there.

‘There were some really young girls there I’d never seen before. I’m not even sure they’re in high school yet. As usual, he was all over them, bringing them drinks and pills and playing the cool host.’

‘Nice guy’ Neal muttered sarcastically under his breath.

‘Yeah, well that’s just it. He’s a smooth operator. That’s how he is with Ginny too.’

‘Did you talk to Ginny? Find out why she wasn’t at the party.’

‘No, but her friend Hannah told me her moms grounded her for a week for lying to them about where she was.’ 

‘Like I've always said, don’t ever get on Diana’s bad side’ Neal said with an amused grin.

‘I just… it doesn’t feel right’ she said, preparing to fess up the details of her little escapade. ‘So, I decided to snoop around and see if I could find anything.’

‘Snoop around?’ Neal repeated, his spidey senses tingling. 

‘I went up to his room and I went through his stuff to see if I could find anything incriminating —’

‘Caitlin!’ Neal said, cutting her off. 

‘Relax, he was… down at the party. Well at least he was in the beginning.’

Neal glanced over at her suspiciously.

‘The guy’s a real player Mr. C. I’m telling you he’s up to no good. I found some airline tickets in his dresser drawer’ she added, dropping her voice as if confiding a secret.

‘That’s hardly enough to have him arrested. Maybe the guy’s planning on taking a holiday.’

She dismissed his explanation with a wave of her hand. ‘Then, I overheard him talking on the phone.’

‘Overheard him?’

‘He came up to his room and I dove under the bed so he wouldn’t see me.’

‘Caitlin!’ Neal cried out for the second time.

‘Hear me out!’ she countered, turning to face him. ‘I think he might have been talking to Ginny.’

‘You think? Did he mention her by name?’

‘Not exactly but he was telling whoever it was that the party wasn’t the same without her and that she just needed to hang on for a few more days. What if he’s planning on taking her away somewhere against her will?’

‘Honey that’s a stretch, isn’t it?’

‘Maybe, but I told you about that other girl from school who disappeared last year. What if this Logan guy is involved in some sort of sex trade.’ 

Neal sighed loudly. It all sounded a bit too far fetched. ‘Don’t you think you might be getting a little carried away?’

‘That kind of stuff happens all the time. They get young girls hooked on pills and they groom them to work as sex workers. Then they move them to another city away from their family and friends, totally isolated and totally at their mercy. Sometimes, they even threaten them if they try to run away.’

Neal listened attentively. Of course these things happened in the big bad world. But right in their own backyard?

‘Were you able to get a look at the airline tickets?’

‘No’ Caitlin said, sounding deflated. ‘I was about to when he came in. Oh and after he got off the phone, he called somebody else and he said ‘all systems were go’.

‘Those were his exact words?’

‘Yeah, something about how she, meaning Ginny, was eager to go and that he didn’t anticipate any problems.’

‘But you don’t know for a fact that he was talking about Ginny.’

Caitlin shook her head. ‘Not for sure but Mr. C… I can feel it my bones.’

Neal knew all about having a good gut detector; he’d counted on his own spidey senses for information countless times in the past. ‘Then what happened?’

‘Then one of the young girls from the party came into the room. She was high and they started making out on his bed. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough so I snuck out and came home.’

Neal grew quiet. There were an awful lot of holes in Caitlin’s theory. Too many holes to approach Diana and Christie with any certainty. And yet, if there was even a possibility Ginny might be in danger, he couldn’t keep quiet about it.

Off in the distance, the sign for the Blue Skies Nursing Home appeared through the blurry windshield. 

‘Let me think about it’ Neal said as he turned into the parking lot.

WCWCWC

It was a rare occasion when all the kids were home for dinner - even on a Sunday night. Between Hope and Cam closing up the gallery and Liam and Caitlin’s active social lives, it was a miracle to get the whole clan sitting around the table, sharing a meal.

In the end, Linda had been too tired to come out to White Plains so Neal and Caitlin had stayed with her a little longer, helping her with dinner before heading back home. The rain had subsided somewhat, reduced to a drizzle and making the drive home a lot more pleasant. This time, Neal and Caitlin rode in relative silence, both mulling over the findings of Caitlin’s impromptu detective work. A quick call to Sara, reminding her to stick the lasagna in the oven and a last minute stop to pick up some fresh bread and the twosome arrived home shortly after six o’clock. Hope and Cam were busy making a salad and Liam and Cody were setting the table when they walked in, jackets still damp from the earlier downpour.

‘Did you remember to stop at the bakery?’ Sara called out from the kitchen where she sat, sharing a glass of wine with Mozzie.

Neal held the baguette over his head in victory and made his way over to place a cursory peck on his wife’s cheek.

‘Where’s your mom?’ Sara asked, eyes searching behind him.

‘She was too tired to come’ Neal replied, sadness in his voice. ‘Maybe next time…’

‘That’s too bad. I was going to make strawberry shortcake for dessert. It’s her favourite.’

Neal’s eyebrows rose in question. ‘You were going to make strawberry shortcake?’

Sara gave him a dirty look. ‘I mean… I was going to get you to make strawberry shortcake.’

He smiled and nodded; that sounded a lot more plausible. ‘Hey Moz, you look nice. Is that a new jacket?’

Mozzie ran his hands nimbly down his lapels and grinned. ‘It is. Fine Italian leather’ he replied with a satisfied smirk.

Ever since their little escapade with the storage unit, the little man had been looking rather pleased with himself. Perhaps the odds and ends he’d managed to harvest had amounted to more than Neal had initially thought. 

They ate in the dining room, the lively discussion covering countless topics including the new exhibit at the gallery, Mozzie’s intended purchase of a new van, Liam’s upcoming playoff game and the senior graduation which was just around the corner.

‘Remember my grad?’ Hope asked with a wink in Cam’s direction. ‘I was the only one there whose boyfriend was in university. All my friends were drooling.’ 

‘Drooling?’ Cam repeated with a scoff. ‘I think you might be exaggerating there sweetie.’

‘Oh, I know what I wanted to ask’ Hope said, turning to face her mom. ‘Are we all leaving from here on Tuesday morning to go to court? Or should we meet up there?’

Sara stared down at her plate, ignoring a pointed look from Neal. The silence wore on much longer than necessary. 

‘Mom?’ Hope said. ‘Did you hear what I said?’

Sara looked up, her eyes meeting her daughters’ stare. ‘I… I didn’t think you were coming.’

Liam piped up between two bites of lasagna, speaking with his mouth full. ‘Of course we’re coming Mom. We’re all coming.’

Sara swallowed and looked over at Neal, willing him to speak up. He was well aware of her apprehensions about the kids being at the hearing but he’d already expressed his opinion in no uncertain terms. It wasn’t his place to say anything; this was about her and he needed to respect her point of view.

‘I don’t…’ That was all Sara managed to get out before she felt tears stinging her eyes and her throat tightening in her chest. 

She stopped suddenly and Neal felt his heart breaking for her. ‘Your mom doesn’t think it’s a good idea for you to come’ he finally said.

‘What? Why not?’ Liam cried out as Cody placed a hand on his arm.

‘Mom, we want to be there’ Hope added, her voice pained.

‘Sara, you can’t go through this alone’ Caitlin added, sounding alarmed. ‘We’re a family. We need to stick together.’

Neal held his breath. Maybe the kids would manage to succeed where he had failed.

Suddenly, the three kids were on their feet, surrounding Sara as she began to cry softly. Embarrassed, she lifted her napkin to cover her face. 

‘We love you Mom’ Liam said as everyone nodded in agreement. 

‘Don’t shut us out Mom, we’re not babies anymore’ Hope added.

As the arguments piled up, it was as if Sara no longer had the energy to fight. There was something comforting about having all her loved ones around her, standing by her, giving her the strength she needed to get through what would be a difficult day.

‘All right, all right’ she said, feigning annoyance at all the attention. ‘You can all come.’

WCWCWC

The sun came out after dinner and Neal suggested he and Hope take Raffie to the dog park. Ever since Sara had confided in him about the questions that still haunted their daughter, he’d been waiting for just the right time to get her alone. Father and daughter made small talk on the way to the park, settling in on a bench away from prying ears and unleashing Raffie so he could play with his buddies while they talked. 

Hope could sense tension radiating off her dad. ‘Mom talked to you, didn’t she?’

Neal nodded. ‘I wish you’d said something earlier. I had no idea you were struggling with this.’

‘I… I didn’t want to upset you by bringing it up.’

‘Honey, you could never upset me. You’re the one who suffered through the last two years. I guess I never realized the gaps in your memory were bothering you so much.’

Hope shrugged. ‘It just… it feels like if I don’t fill in the gaps, I’ll always be left wondering.’

‘I get it’ her dad replied although he wasn’t quite sure he did.

‘I just hate the thought of putting you through the whole thing all over again.’

‘It’s okay’ Neal said, feeling surprisingly strong. ‘You know when I was going through therapy with Marion, we worked on something called desensitization where she had me reciting the events of that night over and over again until the words didn’t… own me, I guess.’

‘Did it help?’

‘It did. I got to the point where I could actually talk about that night without totally falling apart.’

Hope examined his face. He looked relaxed, confident. Maybe it hadn’t been a mistake to bring it up after all. 

‘Is there something in particular you want to know?’ he asked.

She shrugged. ‘I remember that Thursday like it was yesterday. I was still on a high from the night before and I came over to the house in the morning to show you and Mom my engagement ring.’

Neal smiled wistfully. ‘I remember. You were on cloud nine.’

‘Then Olivia came over and I told her how Cam had surprised me with dinner from Le Coprin and how he’d hidden the ring under the dome of a silver platter.’

She glanced up at her dad who was smiling at the memory. ‘I made you two some chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. Just like when you were little.’

Hope nodded. ‘I remember going over to Uncle Peter and Aunt Elizabeth’s that afternoon to show them my ring and how Uncle Peter teased Cam about taking good care of me.’

Neal listened, his eyes riveted on his daughter.

‘Do you know I even remember what you made for dinner that night: it was taco night.’ She spoke deliberately as if she was reliving an out of body experience, reciting the facts as if they’d happened to someone else.

‘And then you and I drove out to the Bronx and I remember the weather was horrible. Ice pellets were sticking to the windshield and we talked about me going back to school and how I didn’t want to leave Cam…’

‘You were so happy, your eyes were sparkling…’ Neal added with a sigh.

‘That’s when things start to get a little fuzzy. I remember parts of the class, that cute little boy who kept calling me Miss Caffrey, how you teased me when I started to wash out the paint pots.’

‘I didn’t want you messing up your new ring.’

She looked up at her dad, eyes wet. ‘But I don’t remember actually leaving the school…’ 

‘The weather was horrible that night’ Neal continued, picking up the narrative. ‘It had slowed to a drizzle by the time we left but there were some icy patches on the street and sidewalk. You asked if I minded driving you all the way to Cam’s place and I said something like ‘Do you really think I’m going to let you take a cab all the way to Flushing?’’

Hope’s eyes brightened as if the recollection sparked a memory. 

Neal continued. ‘I stopped at the door to the school to set the alarm and you peeked over my shoulder. You noticed I was using your birthdate as the alarm code and I told you not to flatter yourself, that I changed it every couple of months.’

He stopped to look into her eyes. ‘Which was a lie by the way… I never did change it after that night.’

Hope chuckled quietly but felt her throat tightening.

‘I started out ahead of you’ Neal continued, his gaze staring out at the dog park but seeing nothing. ‘I’d parked right across the street and I wanted to unlock the car door so you wouldn’t get wet…’

His voice grew quiet and despite the busy sounds all around them, it was as if they were alone in the world.

‘I was still teasing you and you were laughing, that wonderful carefree laugh of yours. Then you walked under a street lamp and I noticed your face changing, your smile melting away… Your head was turned to your right as if you’d spotted something… I was still standing in the middle of the street and I started to turn to look in that direction but suddenly, you were there. Right next to me. Screaming at the top of your lungs. ‘DAAAAD!’ 

Hope could feel her heart beating faster as he spoke. 

‘Before I could see what had you so spooked, you grabbed my coat lapels and you held on tight, pulling me towards you before pushing me away as hard as you could towards the other side of the street. I lost my balance and fell flat on my ass. You were still standing there in the middle of the street… The next thing I remember was the sound of a car engine getting louder and when I got my bearings, I looked up…’

He stopped suddenly. Hope appeared to be in some sort of trance. ‘You okay sweet pea?’ he asked, taking her hand in his.

She kept staring ahead but nodded vacantly, urging him to continue.

Neal’s voice grew very quiet. ‘We were both out of harm’s way but then the car seemed to hit an icy patch and… I saw your feet lifting off the ground like you were flying through the air.’

Hope started to tremble and Neal settled his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in against his chest.

‘I think that’s enough for now’ he murmured into her hair. 

‘No! No! Just… just give me a minute’ she said as she buried her face in his shirt.

He felt her arms tighten around his waist, clutching at him as she shook, her breathing uneven.

‘Honey, we don’t have to do this right now’ he whispered reassuringly. 

‘I need to, Daddy’ she said, composing herself and finally pulling away to look at him. ‘I’ve wondered for so long. I don’t want to go on not knowing.’

To say he fully understood was an exaggeration but it was obvious this was important to his daughter and in the end that was all that mattered. 

‘What happened after that?’ she asked, looking more self-possessed. 

A tear had rolled down her cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb. She forced herself to smile.

‘Then things start to get a little blurry for me too. What… haunted me for the longest time was the horrible sounds.’

‘What do you mean?’

Neal swallowed hard, intent on staying composed for her. ‘The sound of… your body against the grill of the car… then I saw you lying on the hood and… thrown against the windshield. It’s… it still feels unreal, like a terrible nightmare.’

Hope nodded and fresh tears appeared, spilling out of her bright blue eyes onto her pink cheeks.

‘After that, I just remember sitting in the middle of the street in the rain, holding you in my arms. Minutes, hours… it’s… it’s not clear. Just rocking you back and forth, back and forth, like I could somehow make it all better.’

‘The car… it just drove away?’

Neal nodded. ‘He backed up and you rolled off the hood and then he… he drove around you and sped up the street. After that, I just remember them… prying me off you. I didn’t want to let you go… I couldn’t bear letting you go.’

As if the spell was broken, he sat straighter on the bench and sighed loudly. 

‘The next thing I remember is sitting in the emergency room with Uncle Peter.’

‘You called Uncle Peter? You didn’t call Mom? Or Cam?'

‘I just remember thinking… I can’t do this to your mom. I can’t tell her that our baby is broken in a million little pieces.’

Hope nodded, letting his words seep in. For her, the void had lasted weeks - weeks and weeks before she had opened her eyes on the world again. Her dad had had to live through the nightmare minute by minute.

‘Cam was… he was devastated’ Neal added.

‘And he was angry at you.’ 

‘He told you?’

‘He felt horrible for the way he talked to you that night.’

Neal shook his head. ‘I was already filled with shame, with guilt. How had I let this happen to my little girl when I was right there? There was nothing he could have said that would have made me feel any worse.’

Raffie appeared, wagging his tail and looking for a quick cuddle. Hope scratched his ears and he immediately ran out again to join his doggie friends. 

Neal and Hope sat in silence, hands clasped, eyes straight ahead, seeing nothing but their shared memories.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

Father and daughter sat there for a long time. The sun had started to set when Neal finally looked over at Hope. She was still staring ahead vacantly, seemingly unaware of her surroundings as dog owners and their pets came and went. 

‘You okay?’ Neal finally asked as he squeezed her hand.

She nodded. ‘Yeah… thanks for doing this Dad.’

Neal shrugged it off; frankly, there were no limits to the lengths he was prepared to go to for his little girl.

‘You know I still dream about it sometimes’ Hope said, her voice quiet. 

He frowned, lines appearing on his forehead. ‘I figured as much.’

‘Now that I know exactly what happened… maybe I’ll be able to finally let it go. I realize now that my subconscious was remembering a lot of little details from that night.’

He turned to face her. ‘I don’t want to be the one to add to your ordeal by giving you all those… detailed visuals.’

Hope finally looked at him, her face oddly relaxed. There were dried tears on her cheeks but no fresh ones in her eyes.

‘You’re not Dad. I needed to know.’

She scrutinized his eyes. Now that he’d finished telling her what had happened that night, all those emotions he’d managed to keep in check seemed to be catching up to him. She laced her arms around his waist, tucking her face into his chest. 

‘I’m sorry you had to witness all that. It must have been horrible for you. Ironically, I can relate. I remember the night you were shot at the gallery… I was a total mess.’

‘You saved my life that night’ Neal replied with a faraway smile.

She sighed loudly. ‘I was on total auto-pilot. If it hadn’t been for that 911 operator talking me through it, I would have completely frozen up.’

‘But you didn’t’ Neal reminded her. ‘You kept me alive until the EMTs got there.’

She noticed the sadness in his eyes and felt the need to reassure him. More than anyone, she knew how powerless he must have felt watching her lying motionless on the street. She’d felt the same overwhelming sense of helplessness the night he’d fearlessly stepped in between her and a man brandishing a loaded gun and had ended up bleeding out on the floor of their beloved gallery. 

‘I don’t know what I’d do without you Dad. You’re always there for me’ she replied, her voice quiet.

He shook his head. Following countless hours of therapy, he’d mostly made peace with the night of her accident. But he still had his moments, moments when he chastised himself for not having seen that car coming around the corner, for not having reacted fast enough to push his daughter out of harms way. 

Sensing his doubts, she continued. ‘When I was in the hospital all those months, I had no idea you were going through your own personal hell and yet you were there for me every single day, reading to me, singing to me, putting me through those horrible physio exercises’ she added with a chuckle. ‘I have vague recollections of hearing your calming voice while I was unconscious. You gave me the will to fight, to open my eyes and come back to the world.’

Now it was Neal’s turn to wipe a tear which had escaped onto his cheek. 

‘My brave girl’ he said, as he pulled her in for a warm hug.

Raffie was back, wondering to what he owed this extended playtime - not that he was complaining.

‘You done playing buddy?’ Hope asked. 

Neal cleared his throat, chasing away the nostalgia. ‘We should get home.’ 

WCWCWC

‘It just seems… a little frivolous, that’s all’ Sara said into the phone from the privacy of her bedroom.

‘What’s frivolous?’ replied Emily Ellis-Foster. ‘I haven’t visited in like three months and I’ve got all these air miles I need to use before they expire.’

‘Right…’ Sara replied, not believing a word.

‘I want to be there. Will you let me?’

Sara sighed. She’d just given the kids the green light to come to court, how could she say no to her own sister. Besides, she couldn’t deny how nice it would be to have some time with her.

After a moment of hesitation she spoke. ‘Of course I’ll let you.’

‘Great! My flight leaves at noon tomorrow. I’ll be there by dinner time.’

‘Wait a minute, you’ve already booked your flight?’

Emily cleared her throat. ‘I figured even if you didn’t want me to come to court, I could be there… you know, for after.’

‘And how long have you and Neal been plotting this behind my back?’

‘Neal? What does Neal have to do with this?’ Emily replied.

‘You’ve definitely been hanging around him too long if you can deflect like that.’

Right on cue, Neal appeared in the doorway to their bedroom, not wanting to interrupt. 

‘Look, your co-conspirator just walked in. I gotta go’ Sara said, motioning for him to come in. 

‘I’ll call you and let you know when I’ve landed’ Emily said before hanging up.

‘Hey’ Neal said, joining his wife on the bed. ‘Was that Emily?’

‘As if you didn’t know’ she replied with a feigned look of annoyance.

‘Did you really think you could keep her away?’

‘Like the two of you didn’t plan all this behind my back.’

Neal looked genuinely offended. ‘She’s the one who called me’ he said defensively. ‘She wanted to know what I thought about her coming, if I thought you’d be okay with it.’

The look of annoyance seemed to melt as Sara shrugged, then smiled. ‘She’ll be here tomorrow.’

‘That’s good, right?’ Neal said as his fingers lingered down her arm.

Her smile widened. ‘It’s very good.’

She picked up on a faraway look in her husband’s eyes. ‘How’d it go with Hope?’

He frowned, searching her eyes. ‘How’d you know?’

‘Seriously? So, how’d it go?’

‘It was okay. She… she seemed genuinely relieved to hear some of the details. I think knowing is going to help give her some closure. Finally.’

Sara studied his face. She could see a myriad of emotions dancing in his eyes among them sadness, relief. ‘And what about you?’

He looked up and pasted on a phoney smile. He tilted his head and shrugged in that self deprecating way of his. ‘What about me?’

‘Neal…’

He realized she wouldn’t be easily fooled. ‘It’s never easy to talk about it but I managed to get through it without getting myself all worked up.’

She noticed his voice growing unsteady and suddenly he let out a loud, shaky exhale as he finally gave in to his emotions. Their eyes met and Sara silently opened her arms to him. He didn’t fight it, gratefully letting himself slip into her embrace as she cradled him against her chest. 

She held him like that for a few moments, feeling his body start to relax as the emotions finally seeped out. He’d been so intent on not upsetting his daughter that he’d willingly swallowed up his own feelings, keeping them all locked up until it was safe to let go. Now, in Sara’s loving arms, it was safe to let himself feel all those conflicting emotions without the need to hold back. 

She ran her hand through his hair as he lay there, arms wrapped tightly around her, feeling safe and cherished. He breathed deeply in and out and relaxed in the calm and comfort of her arms, his relief now complete.

‘You did good Caffrey’ she murmured.

WCWCWC

The drive back to Flushing was eerily quiet. Not in that unsettled, agitated way Cameron Armstrong had grown to know over the past two years but in a strangely relaxed way now that Hope had finally found some peace. 

Overall, their seemingly unending two year journey back to each other had had more ups than downs. The first few months had been a total blur with Cam putting in as many hours as possible at the gallery while spending every evening and most nights in Hope’s hospital room. In those first few weeks, every time he looked at her, he was tortured by the same old questions. Would she ever open her eyes, would he ever hear her voice, hold her in his arms again? 

But the Caffreys and Burkes had banded together, taking turns so that Hope was never alone. Neal had been unfailing in his support for his daughter despite the fact he’d been battling demons of his own. He’d been at the hospital every morning at eight o’clock without exception, sending Cam home to get some shuteye before he headed over to the gallery to put in a full day. Despite Neal’s urging that he take some time off, Cam had been adamant that staying busy was the way to go. Hope would come back to him and he needed to keep the gallery running smoothly for her and for their future.

Over those horrible weeks and months, he’d spent many nights over at the Caffrey house, hunkering down in Hope’s room, surrounded by all her things, the soft scent of her perfume still discernable on the bed linens. Staying alone at his apartment where he and Hope had shared so much had become untenable and he’d appreciated the offer to stay with Neal and Sara, sharing meals with the family and feeling their support as they all struggled together to get through their shared ordeal. 

After a while, she had awakened from her coma and he’d watched the woman he loved struggle to get back on her feet and fight to get her voice back, she who’d had a reputation as a chatterbox before the accident. He missed her constant chatter, the way her eyes lit up when she spoke, the speed with which words just rolled off her tongue. Even now, he was still getting used to the more tentative rhythm of her speech, the slight stutter as she struggled to express herself. 

As of late, most disconcerting had been the nightmares, the nights when she woke up in a sweat, her heart thumping so hard in her chest, he swore he could almost hear it. Hopefully, now that she’d talked to her dad, the horrible dreams would disappear. 

He glanced over to his right, noticing her body relaxed, her eyes clear.

‘You all right?’ he asked, reaching for her hand.

She smiled, a soft gentle smile. ‘Yeah, I’m good. I’m just relieved Dad was able to tell me what happened without falling apart.’

‘I told you, he’s stronger than you think. Besides, knowing your dad, he would do just about anything for you.’

She sighed. ‘I’m tired’ she admitted.

WCWCWC

By late Sunday, Ginny could barely contain herself. Logan had been in touch to let her know their long awaited getaway was happening on Tuesday and he’d taken it on himself to instruct her on what she should pack for the trip. Their destination and the length of their trip was still a mystery, Logan playing it up as a special surprise for his very special girl. Ginny was happy to go along with it. She loved surprises. 

There was a soft knock on her door and Olivia popped her head into her sister’s room.

‘Hey’ Ginny called out, sitting up. ‘What’s up?’

‘Mom asked me to give you this’ Olivia said as she produced Ginny’s cell phone.

Ginny nodded and took the phone from her sister’s hand as Olivia settled on the bed beside her.

‘I thought you’d be more excited. A whole week without your phone.’ 

Ginny forced herself to smile. ‘I am’ she lied.

Truth was she’d lost interest in keeping in touch with her friends. For now, the only thing that mattered was her precious connection with Logan and for that she didn’t need the phone.

‘The moms have been worried about you. You’ve been so quiet lately.’

For a moment, Ginny almost blurted everything out: how she was madly in love, how Logan was the only person in the world who mattered to her, how he was whisking her away on a romantic getaway. Her sister’s next question caught her off guard.

‘Is it that guy you were seeing? Is that why you’re upset? Did you guys break up?’ she asked, making herself comfortable on her sister’s bed.

‘No… no. I just miss him. I haven’t seen him in a while.’

‘What’s his name?’

Ginny shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter, you don’t know him.’

‘Tell me.’

‘It’s Logan’ Ginny blurted out, her pulse racing. ‘And he’s gorgeous.’

‘Guess what?’ Olivia said with a shy smile. ‘Nathan asked me out.’ 

She’d been fawning over the boy for months but had recently given up on him when he’d shown little interest in her.

‘You’re kidding!’ Ginny said, genuinely pleased for her older sister. ‘I thought you were over him.’

Olivia sat up squirming, unable to contain herself. ‘I guess I was just kidding myself. The minute I stopped hanging on his every word, he decided to ask me out. He’s taking me to a movie next weekend.’

‘That’s great’ enthused Ginny.

She felt sudden unease at the thought of holding back on the details of her own whirlwind romance. The two sisters were close and had always confided in each other about their love lives and for a moment, Ginny felt like a complete fraud. Olivia was trustworthy and she would be more than happy to know that Ginny was in love and was being whisked away for a few days by the man of her dreams. Maybe she could even enlist Olivia’s help in keeping her parents from totally losing their shit when they eventually found out she’d left town. Ginny studied her sister’s animated face, biting her tongue as she weighed the risks of sharing her secret. 

The mellow sound of Logan’s voice played in her head, reminding her that he could get into trouble if Ginny said too much about their relationship - after all, he was older and not everyone would understand their special bond. He’d managed to convince her that what was happening between the two of them was sacred and shouldn’t be shared with anyone, no matter who. Her resolve strengthened and she swallowed down her feelings, deciding to play in safe. In the end, he was worth all the secrecy and subterfuge. Soon they’d be together and no one would be able to keep them apart.

WCWCWC 

The regular Sunday evening routine was humming right along in the Caffrey home when Neal decided to place one last late evening phone call. His earlier conversation with Caitlin had convinced him that whether the danger was real or imagined, Ginny seemed to have gotten herself in pretty deep with this Logan guy and he needed to find a way to share what he knew with the teen’s mom. Diana Berrigan was a force to be reckoned with and not unlike his own wife, a very headstrong and determined woman. He wasn’t kidding when he’d told Caitlin he never wanted to be on her bad side. He’d spent almost five years making sure not to incur the wrath of his co-worker who was known amongst her peers as ‘badass Berrigan’. 

‘Neal? Hi! You’re calling late’ she said in greeting.

‘Yeah… sorry about that. I didn’t want to start the week without reaching out to you. It seems I haven’t seen you in ages.’

‘What are you talking about? We saw each other at Peter’s barbecue and we had coffee not too long ago’ she reminded him.

Neal reached for a ready answer. ‘Yeah but we haven’t had a good old fashioned gabfest in a while. How about lunch this week?’

He could well imagine her shrugging. ‘Sure’ she said with an amused laugh. ‘Especially if you’re treating.’

He didn’t want to appear overeager but neither did he want to let things drag out longer than necessary. If Caitlin was right and Logan was planning on whisking Ginny away somewhere, there was no time to waste. 

‘My Monday just opened up’ he fibbed, checking his schedule and noticing a meeting with one of his teachers at 11:30. He could always postpone in a pinch.

‘Sorry’ Diana replied as he heard her banging on her phone. ‘I’ve got a meeting all day tomorrow with the higher ups from Washington.’

‘Well, well, look at you. Finally part of the old boys network.’

She chuckled. ‘Yeah, well I’d rather be having lunch with you than meet with a bunch of stuffed shirts but… how about Tuesday? I could do it then.’

Neal thought ahead to the stressful few days ahead for his wife. ‘Sorry… Sara’s court date is Tuesday.’

‘Oh, I forgot all about that.’

Neal nodded. ‘Yeah… it’s been a long time coming.’

‘How is she doing?’

‘Let’s just say she’s going to be doing a lot better by Tuesday night.’

‘Right, right. Well, tell her Christie and I are thinking of her. How about Wednesday… can you do Wednesday?’ she asked.

Neal checked his schedule. Again, internal meetings he could easily move around if need be. ‘Wednesday’s great. I’ll text you the name of this new restaurant near the Bureau. You’ll love it.’

‘Yeah, well make it expensive Caffrey’ she added as they signed off.

Neal made his way upstairs where he found things uncharacteristically quiet. Liam was sitting up in bed tapping away on his computer, Caitlin’s bedroom door was closed and Sara was busy tucking away the last load of laundry in their dresser drawers.

‘Who was that you were talking to on the phone?’ she asked as Neal came into the room and began to undress.

‘Diana.’

‘You going to tell her about Caitlin’s suspicions?’

He gave her a shrug. ‘As much as I dare without freaking her out.’

‘Better safe than sorry, I suppose’ Sara said as she tossed the empty laundry basket at the foot of the bed, waiting to be refilled.

‘Well, I’ll be the first to admit Caitlin can be a little over-dramatic but she’s convinced something weird’s going on. If Diana knew something that put Hope or Caitlin in potential danger, I’m sure she wouldn’t hesitate to tell us. The least I can do is give her a heads up.’

‘Ginny won’t be thrilled about you meddling in her life.’

Neal threw his dirty shirt in the laundry basket and glanced at his wife. ‘I guess that’s the price I have to pay to make sure nothing happens to her.’

Sara made her way over and wrapped her arms around Neal’s neck, her hands disappearing into his thick head of hair. ‘Thank you by the way.’

He settled his hands on her hips and gave her his best innocent Caffrey grin. ‘For what?’

‘For reaching out to Emily.’

Neal frowned. ‘I told you… she reached out to —’

She cut him off by placing a finger on his lips. ‘Whatever…’ she said, not believing a word. ‘It doesn’t matter, I’m just glad she’s coming.’

He smiled, unable to hide his smugness. ‘Well, if you’re happy, I’m happy.’

Sara’s face grew dark and she let out a loud exhale. Her arms reached around his back as she tucked herself tightly against his solid body. Neal could feel her trembling slightly as he held her. His hands moved up to caress her hair, pulling her in closer.

‘It’s going to be all right babe’ he whispered into her ear. ‘I promise.’

Her voice faltered as she spoke. ‘I know. I’m just… I want it to be over already.’

‘It will be. Really soon’ he murmured back.

He pulled away to look into her eyes, brushing away a stray strand of hair from her face. ‘You are so much stronger than you realize Repo’ he told her soberly.

She nodded tentatively. ‘I just don’t feel very strong right now.’

He brought his lips to her forehead and deposited a soft kiss. He felt her body start to quiver. 

‘Neal?’

‘Yeah…’

‘That rain check… from last night?’

‘Yeah…’

She wagged her eyebrows provocatively and gave him a head nod towards the bed. 

His face lit up as he lifted her up off the ground and fell on top of her onto the mattress. ‘One rain check coming up.’

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

Tuesday morning at 3:47, Sara woke in a full blown panic. Her alarm hadn’t gone off and it was a foregone conclusion that she’d overslept and missed her sociology final. She panted loudly as she looked around the unfamiliar room. Where was she? This wasn’t her cozy dorm at Brown. She blinked, inviting reality back into her dream filled subconscious. 

There was an inanimate lump buried under the blankets next to her. It moved then resettled and her eyes met Neal’s relaxed face. Reality came flooding back as she continued to breathe erratically. 

‘Oh my God’ she murmured under her breath as she fell back onto her pillow with a thud.

‘Babe?’ came Neal’s sleepy voice.

Still asleep, he turned in her direction, intuitively throwing his arm around her hips as he resumed snoring.

‘I have to pee’ she mumbled to his sleeping form as she wriggled out from under the weight of his arm.

By the time she returned, he’d flipped over and was snoring even more noisily. Her heart rate had slowed somewhat and she slipped back into bed next to him, now wide awake. 

Surprisingly, on the eve of the big day, she’d managed to fall asleep without much difficulty. She and Emily had spent a couple of hours catching up in Hope’s room where the elder Ellis sister had settled in for the duration of her stay. They’d caught up on all the news, wisely skirting the issue of the following day’s proceedings — a great distraction which had kept Sara mellow and relaxed. When she’d finally come to bed, well past midnight, she’d found Neal sitting up, doing his best to stay awake until she joined him. His offer of a back rub was gladly accepted and to be honest, that’s about all she remembered until that pesky recurring dream had woken her. 

Whenever she got herself worked up about anything, the familiar dream would invade her slumber, disrupting her needed rest. Always the same damn thing. In her dream, she’d wake to find her alarm hadn’t gone off on the day of a big final exam. Strangely enough, she hadn’t even taken any sociology courses in university, except for the obligatory first year introductory course but in the dream, it was clear that this was her fourth year sociology final, the only course that stood between her and a cum laude degree from her beloved alma mater.

Now that she was wide awake, trepidation about the coming day started to take root and her mind was instantly in overdrive. What would it feel like to come face to face with Hyun Than after almost three years? Would he look as slimy and despicable as she remembered? Would his lawyer cross-examine her, further humiliating her in front of those she loved? And what about Neal? Would her recounting of the events of that horrible day trigger painful memories for him?

Mindy had called the previous evening to check on her and make sure she was still up to the challenge she’d been so adamant about facing. The judge could certainly rule on a sentence for the perp based on her written testimony but victim statements were standard before sentencing and Sara had decided long ago that she needed to see this through to the very end if she was going to have any peace of mind.

She imagined herself walking in with her head held high, Mindy, Neal and the kids by her side - all friendly faces around to bolster her resolve. Despite her efforts to keep his ugly mug at bay, her attacker’s face appeared unbidden before her eyes. She could feel her breathing accelerate as she imagined his mocking smile, his dark beady eyes, the creepy sound of his voice. 

The memories, muddled in places, were all too clear in others. The drugs they’d given her had left her drifting in and out of reality, unable to think clearly enough to plan an escape and get herself out of the mess she was in. She shook her head, trying to knock some sense into herself and she glanced over at Neal. Throughout the whole ordeal, he’d been her anchor, patient and loving as she worked through the months of fallout from her misadventure. She slid in closer to him and as he’d done moments before, threw her arm around his waist, feeling his warm, reassuring back against her chest. The snoring was interrupted for a beat or two as he brought his hand to rest on hers, anchoring her in place. His comforting gesture was immediately followed by the return of the deep, droning sound of his breathing as his hand relaxed and fell away. 

There was no point in waking him. It wasn’t his fault she couldn’t sleep. Instead, she just burrowed her face deeper into his warm comforting back, inhaling his familiar scent and taking solace in his physical presence. 

‘I love you’ she murmured.

He grunted but didn’t reply.

WCWCWC

ETD had been set at 9:30. Both her moms would have left for work by then and Olivia would have taken off for school an hour earlier. Ginny had already crafted an excuse to let her sister head out ahead of her while she waited for Logan to drive over and pick her up. He’d been oddly prescriptive about the way things were to happen - ostensibly so he could surprise her with, as he described, the most fun she’d had in ages. She was to take a chill pill when she got up and have her bag packed and ready to go. Not a word or a hint to anyone, he warned. She was only too happy to comply. 

She was lying in bed with her eyes wide open when she heard the shower go off at 6:00; her moms getting ready for their workday. Hidden under the bed, her bag was packed and ready to go. Logan had insisted she pack the clothes he’d gotten her over their short whirlwind romance, all those provocative items he favoured her wearing when they were alone together. 

Unable to lie quietly any longer, she slipped out of bed and got down on all fours, pulling out the bag and checking it once more. The last trip she’d taken was an overnight visit to Boston with her social science class. They’d explored the Freedom Trail and visited the New England Aquarium and the Franklin Park Zoo. Her moms had bought her a nice leather trimmed overnight back for the occasion and it still looked brand spanking new.

Her eyes rested on the stuffed toy she’d been curled up with as he stared back at her ominously. 

‘What?’ she said. ‘You think I’m being stupid?’

The lemur stared back, his green beady eyes unmoving. 

‘You have no idea what it’s like to be in love’ she continued, picking him up and glaring back at him.

She exhaled and pulled the stuffed animal to her chest, feeling the familiar comfort.

‘All right, fine!’ she said, throwing him into the bottom of the bag. ‘You can come.’

She zipped up the bag and tucked it back under the bed for safekeeping before climbing back into bed and checking the time once more: 6:11. Nine thirty couldn’t come soon enough.

WCWCWC

Sara wasn’t quite sure what she’d expected but the room where the proceedings were to take place looked nothing like the courtrooms she’d seen on television. Rather, it was a cavernous conference room with a fifteen foot ceiling, ornate architecture and a huge table that sat twenty or so people. Mindy took her inside so she could get her bearings while the Caffrey clan settled in the large lobby outside to wait. 

‘So we’ll all be sitting around this big table?’ Sara asked breathlessly.

‘That’s right. I’ll be sitting right here to your right’ Mindy explained as she pointed out a couple of leather armchairs. ‘The judge will be over here.’

Sara nodded in understanding. ‘And what about… him.’

‘He’ll be over there’ Mindy pointed to a spot across the table from them. ‘And his lawyer will be sitting next to him.’

‘I thought it would be like… like a courtroom.’

‘Sometimes they use the hearing rooms with the witness stand and audience but none was available today’ Mindy continued.

‘That’s good, right?’

Mindy nodded. ‘It’s less formal and this way, you can have Neal sitting right next to you.’

Sara let out a huge exhale. ‘Okay.’

‘Now, come on. We’ve got a prep room next door. I want to go over a couple of last minute details with you.’

Sara followed her lawyer back out into the hallway where the large contingent was waiting. Neal, Hope and Liam were instantly on their feet.

‘I need to go over a few things with your mom first’ Mindy explained, holding up her hand. ‘You guys wait here for a few minutes. Neal, you can come with us.’

Peter and Elizabeth moved in closer to the kids, corralling them back to their seats. Cody and Cameron waited patiently for Liam and Hope to settle back down.

Emily stepped forward, hugging her sister. ‘Good luck sis’ she said. 

The room adjacent to the conference room was significantly smaller with a table and six chairs. Neal and Sara settled in, facing Mindy.

‘I just found out we got Judge Melançon’ she explained as Neal and Sara nodded vacantly. That meant absolutely nothing to them.

‘There are often last minute changes to the docket depending on emergencies.’

‘Is this Melan—’ Neal attempted, stumbling on the name.

‘Melançon’ Mindy repeated.

‘Is this Melançon a… a good judge?’

Mindy smiled kindly. ‘They’re all good judges but… well, they do all have their individual styles and personalities. I’ve argued before Judge Melançon on a couple of domestic abuse cases. He’s very warm and kind… sort of folksy. He’s an older man, a little old fashioned in his views but fair and he listens well. This is a good thing for us’ she reassured the couple. ‘Each judge has their own particular way of running their courtroom. Judge Melançon is big on victim impact statements.’

‘What does that mean?’ Sara asked.

‘It means that he bases his judgements largely on the impact that crimes have had on the victims. He might ask others to talk about what they observed, how the alleged crime affected them and especially how it affected you.’

‘Others, like?’ Sara asked breathlessly.

‘Well, for example, he may ask the kids how the alleged crime affected them, what they observed when you came home from the hospital.’ 

‘I wish you’d stop calling it an alleged crime’ Neal said with bitterness.

‘Until the judge rules, the accusations remain just that: accusations.’

Neal knew the criminal system and its foibles more than most. He knew all about technicalities. They’d been a friend to him in the past but he didn’t want Than getting away on a formality.

‘Look, I’m only telling you this so you won’t be surprised by anything the judge says or does. He’s read your written statement and he has the police report including all the physical evidence. He also has the statement from your doctor and the affidavit from Marion Birch.’

Sara looked panicked. ‘He’s not… he’s not going to get away with it, is he?’

Mindy reached over and rested her hand on Sara’s. ‘No way!’ she said without hesitation. ‘All this is so the judge can determine an appropriate punishment and rule accordingly.’

Neal rested his hand on Sara’s back and she relaxed instantly.

‘Now, stay put. I’m just going to get everybody to come in for a minute so I can give them some last minute instructions in case they’re questioned.’

She stood, leaving Neal and Sara sitting there looking dazed with their hands clasped. 

WCWCWC

Logan ran around the house frantically gathering all he needed for the upcoming transaction. He’d hit the snooze button one too many times and now he was rushing around, collecting the paperwork he’d picked up the previous week and stuffing a couple of things in an overnight bag. Not that he’d be needing it. He would be back by dinnertime. But he did have to keep up appearances.

He double checked the new ID he’d purchased from his usual ‘provider’. It had cost a pretty penny but that was all part of doing business. Besides, he’d be collecting a tidy sum today when he finally delivered the goods. With minors, it was fairly simple: Ginny was too young to have a driver’s license so a phoney birth certificate with a new name and a fake birthdate and place of birth was pretty well all he needed in case of future police raids. He placed an assortment of pills in a prescription bottle; he’d need those to keep Ginny properly sedated once they finally landed. 

He frowned as he recalled the mess he’d made of things while delivering Lindsay Stewart aka Simone Jarvis the previous year. She’d been smarter than he’d suspected and, once she’d figured out what was going down, she’d fought him all the way, making a scene of epic proportions. She was one feisty bitch. She’d even left him with a painful claw mark across his cheek, a permanent scar that was still faintly visible if you looked hard enough. But he’d learned his lesson. It was better to deliver the merchandise well sedated if he wanted to make a clean getaway.

He glanced down at the names on the airline tickets: Josh Williams and Patricia Jones.   
He always thought the name Trish suited Ginny — it would have to do considering she’d be living with the new name for the foreseeable future. 

One last check of his wallet and phone and it was showtime.

WCWCWC

A few minutes before ten o’clock, the door to the conference room opened and a man stepped in. He wore a wide lapel blue suit with a pale blue shirt and a checkered tie. He was a rather large man and it wasn’t until he’d cleared the doorway that the much smaller man behind him became visible to everyone in the room. The second man wore a tan coloured suit that looked like a hand me down, much too big for his slight frame. His wrists were shackled and he held his hands in front of him as he lumbered into the room. As hard as she tried, Sara was unable to keep herself from looking at his face. Surprisingly, his eyes did not rise to meet hers. They remained trained on the ground as he followed the large man to the only two empty chairs remaining around the table. A couple of prison guards appeared in the doorway and took their position like sentinels on either side of the door.

The larger man pulled the chair out for the smaller man and with his eyes still downcast, Hyun Than sat almost directly across from Sara Ellis. Except for an almost imperceptible squeeze of her husband’s hand, she did not respond. Neal leaned in, mouth to her ear.

‘You okay?’ he whispered.

She nodded but kept staring ahead, undaunted. Barely a few seconds passed before the door at the other end of the room opened and an older gentleman appeared clad in a black silk robe. He was followed by a middle-aged woman. Mindy gave Sara a gentle poke, a reminder that it was time to stand for the judge’s arrival. Everyone else followed suit.

The robed man came around to the head of the table as if he had all the time in the world. Arthritis or perhaps a bum knee from an old injury seemed to be responsible for his slow gait.

‘You may all be seated’ the man declared solemnly as the woman who’d followed him placed a pile of documents before him and retreated to a small table by the wall, ostensibly to take notes.

He glanced around the room, taking the time to study each and every face before speaking. The room grew so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.

‘Mr. Kingsbury’ he said, addressing the lawyer who sat next to the accused. ‘Are you ready to begin.’

‘We are your Honour’ the man said soberly as he stood briefly.

‘Ms. Miller…’ the judge said.

Mindy got to her feet. ‘Yes sir, we’re ready.’

‘And who do we have in the room today?’ he asked, casting another glance at the stilled faces.

‘Sir, Ms. Ellis is here with her husband, her children and some family friends.’

‘Very good’ the judge said as he began to poke around the pile of documents before him. 

He picked one particular document and placed it in front of him. From her vantage point, Mindy could see that it was a copy of Sara’s deposition.

‘Mr. Kingsbury, your client Hyun Than is accused of aggravated sexual assault in the second degree as well as forcible touching. Does he fully understand these charges?’

Hyun Than who had yet to raise his eyes, glanced over at his lawyer before returning his gaze to his lap.

‘He does, your Honour.’

‘And how does he plead?’

‘Not guilty.’

Although Mindy had warned her that her attacker would take this position, it was still hard to hear and Sara flinched as she reacted to the plea. The lie pierced her straight through the heart as she thought of the many months of fallout she and her family had endured. She managed to catch her breath and looked across the table at the man who’d wrecked havoc on their lives. He looked nothing like her memories of him. After two and half years in prison on charges of espionnage against the state, it seemed as if he’d actually shrunk. He had been a slight man to begin with but after serving time, he appeared even scrawnier and sitting there in handcuffs, certainly much less threatening. 

The judge’s voice interrupted her thoughts. ‘Let’s begin then.’

WCWCWC

‘I need you to leave a note’ Logan said as Ginny stood there with her overnight bag in her hand.

‘A note? What do you mean?’

‘You need to let your moms know that you left of your own accord. That you weren’t kidnapped or something.’

She giggled. ‘Kidnapped? Why would I have been kidnapped?’

‘Babe, they’re not going to know what’s going on. They’ll come home and find you gone. You said your mom works for the FBI, right? If she puts out an amber alert, we could have the full force of the feds raining down on us in the middle of our little holiday.’

Ginny frowned then nodded. ‘Okay. What should I say?’ she asked as she rummaged for some paper and a pen in the desk in her room.

‘Here’ he said, pulling out her desk chair for her. ‘I’ll dictate, okay?’

She sighed loudly. It was all too real all of a sudden. She was leaving town with Logan and she felt a slight shiver at the thought of being away from home, away from those she loved.

‘You’re not having second thoughts, are you babe?’ he asked, running his hand down her back.

‘No, of course not. I just… well, I’ve never really been away from home without my family before.’

He smiled and winked. ‘That’s what makes this so exciting.’

She picked up the pen, poised to write. 

WCWCWC

Sara was relieved that, in the end, she was not required to repeat everything she’d testified to in writing. She had been leery about describing in detail what the man had done to her - especially in front of her children. Instead, she was asked if she stood by her testimony, if she wanted to add anything to her blow by blow description of the horrific acts Hyun Than had carried out while she’d been held captive. She quietly declined.

Judge Melançon perused the many documents and after a few moments turned his attention to the accused’s counsel, addressing him.

‘You’ve read Ms. Ellis’ testimony’ he stated more than asked as the man nodded.

‘Do you wish to question her?’

The man nodded. ‘We do your Honour.’

Sara looked up, her eyes resting on her attacker who finally looked up to face her for the first time. She felt a chill up her spine as she came face to face with his dark, brooding eyes. She thought she detected a small curve of his lips and looked away, suddenly angry at herself for having blinked first.

She must have gasped because Neal’s hand which was still in hers tightened and she turned to glance at him. His face was tense but he forced a small encouraging smile and she exhaled in relief.

‘Ms Ellis’ the large man began in a condescending tone. ‘You’ve given a very detailed, colourful account of what you believe happened to you.’

Sara felt her blood boil. ‘It did happen to me.’

The man shrugged. ‘According to Dr. Simons who examined you at Lincoln Medical Center, you had massive doses of both Diazepam and Xanax in your system when you were brought in.’

Sara sat impassively recalling Mindy’s instructions - only reply to questions and keep it simple and straightforward.

‘As you may know, Diazepam has many side effects, including and I quote from the FDA’s Orange Book, ‘drowsiness, confusion and hallucinations’.’

Again, not a question. Sara braced herself for what Mindy had warned might be the defence’s line of questioning. ‘And Xanax, which was also present in your system, has listed as side effects, blurred vision and memory problems. Ms Ellis, is it possible you imagined some of the… unfortunate acts you’ve described in your testimony?’

‘Unfortunate?’ Sara said loudly. 

The judge spoke up. ‘Mr. Kingsbury, please be careful with your choice of words.’

He turned to address Sara. ‘Ms Ellis, please answer the question.’

Sara took a deep breath. She let go of Neal’s hand and placed both of her hands in her lap, willing herself to remain calm. As they’d rehearsed, she spoke slowly and carefully.

‘I drifted in and out of consciousness for the whole time I was held captive. There are things I do not recall but everything in my testimony is clear in my mind. Not my imagination.’ 

The man who’d been questioning her nodded. ‘But surely you understand my skepticism considering some of your accusations only became clear after the first twenty-four hours in hospital. How do you explain that?’

‘The doctor explained that with these types of drugs, memories can be recovered after a period of time.’

Kingsbury glanced down at the documents in front of him. 

‘Your Honour, I would like to enter into evidence, some research regarding overdoses of both Xanax and Diazepam and showing documented cases of hallucinations while under the effect of those drugs.’

Sara felt all the colour drain from her face. 

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

The buzz of the busy airport was muted by the second sedative Logan had given her. Ginny had admitted to being a little uptight about getting on the plane but Logan had reminded her that there was a little pill for every occasion. He settled her on a nearby bench with their luggage at her feet. 

‘Here, you sit’ he told her as he kissed the top of her head. ‘I’ll go check us in.’ 

She watched as he spoke with the agent, pulling out some documents and sharing them with the older woman. He seemed serious, more serious than she’d ever seen him. She looked around at the other travellers, couples, singles, a family of four, arguing as they waited in line. Logan still hadn’t told her where they were headed but he’d told her the flight would last about two and a half hours and it was probably best if she slept. He had surprises for her on the other end and he wanted her to be fully awake to enjoy them.

She thought of the note she’d left her moms. Logan had insisted on dictating it but she’d felt somewhat uneasy about the contents. Sure, she didn’t want to have her moms crashing her little party but the note made it sound like she was running away for good and didn’t want them to come looking for her. Logan had convinced her that anything less would make them suspicious that she hadn’t left of her own free will when they both knew nothing could be further from the truth.

Ginny sipped her drink, feeling her body relax. Logan always knew what she needed and the pill was doing the trick. Gone was her anxiety about boarding the plane, leaving the pleasant butterflies she associated with spending time with this amazing guy. After a few minutes, he returned, reaching for their bags.

‘We’re golden’ he declared. ‘You ready?’

Ginny hopped to her feet, her legs slightly unsteady. ‘SO ready!’ she said. 

WCWCWC

Neal forced himself to sit very still. If he’d given free rein to his impulses, he would have leaped over the table and wrapped his hands around the asshole’s beefy neck. 

Hallucinations? 

Confusion? 

He’d been there from the very start. He’d been the one to find his wife gagged and barely breathing as she lay shackled to a chair on the filthy floor of a seedy motel. He’d been the first to see the obvious signs of abuse on her battered body, her bloody wrists, the welts on her face, the bruises on her pale stomach, the traces of semen on her clothes and body.

More importantly, he’d witnessed the aftermath, the weeks and months of fear and apprehension as Sara struggled to come to terms with having had her body violated. He’d seen the look of terror on her face when she woke screaming in the dead of night. He’d felt her cringe at even his most gentle of touches. He’d held her trembling body as she’d come unglued on the floor of the executive washroom at Sterling Bosch. He’d seen her fall apart in their sessions with Marion Birch and he’d watched her agonize about their lives never being the same again.

Luckily, before he could stand and act on his primal instinct, Mindy Miller spoke up, her voice calm.

‘Your Honour, this… this cavalier characterization of the unspeakable trauma suffered by my client is not only disrespectful, it is totally inconsistent with the facts in this case. I call your attention to Dr. Simon’s report as well as the findings following the examination my client was forced to endure.’

Judge Melançon nodded and turned his gaze back to the defendant’s counsel. ‘Mr. Kingsbury, if you’re trying to make a point, please take into account all the facts of the case.’

‘Your Honour, with all due respect, I was simply stating that the drugs which were found in Ms. Ellis’ system have very distinctive side effects which could have impaired her recollection of the events of that day.’

‘Again, I remind you’ the judge interrupted. ‘The plaintiff’s description of events has been corroborated by the evidence presented.’

The man sat, looking deflated. Sara watched as the small smile that had crept on to her attacker’s lips slowly faded to a frown. 

‘Mr. Kingsbury’ the judge continued. ‘If this is your best line of defence, I’m afraid you’ve fallen well short of the mark. The DNA found on Ms Ellis’ clothing leaves little doubt that your client is guilty of sexual assault.’

The room grew even more quiet as the judge’s words sunk in. ‘Do you wish to raise any further issues?’ he finally said in response to the lawyer’s silence.

‘Not at this time, Your Honour’ the man said as Hyun Than stared straight ahead, looking defeated.

‘What remains for me to decide is the severity with which I will deal with your client for his reprehensible behaviour.’

The grey-haired man turned towards Sara and glanced down the table at all the worried faces.

‘Mr. Ellis?’ the judge said, looking straight at Neal.

‘It’s Caffrey actually’ Neal corrected.

‘Sorry’ Judge Melançon said with a grin. ‘I can’t keep up with all you modern couples.’

Neal nodded graciously.

‘Mr. Caffrey, I understand you came face to face with the defendant prior to locating your wife.’

Neal exhaled loudly before speaking. ‘He’d given me a rendez-vous point, a warehouse where he wanted me to bring the flash drive he wanted. He… made some very personal comments about Sara.’

‘Comments?’

‘He… he insinuated he’d been intimate with her and he referred to a… a mole Sara has on her hip. I thought he was just taunting me at first.’

‘And you were the one who found your wife.’

‘Yes, along with Peter Burke, who’s sitting right over there’ Neal said with a wave of his hand. ‘My wife had been left shackled to a metal chair with her hands and feet attached with zip ties. The chair had tipped over and she was lying on the floor of a room at the Rossmore Motel.’

‘What condition was she in when you found her?’

Neal took a deep breath and glanced over at the kids. He’d never shared any of those details with them; they’d all just been so relieved Sara had been found alive. ‘She was gagged and breathing erratically. She would stop breathing, then start again. She was unconscious.’

‘Did she have any visible marks on her body?’ the judge asked.

Sara fidgeted in her chair and Neal avoided looking directly at her. He needed to get through this and looking into his wife’s dewy eyes was a sure way to detract him from his mission.

‘She did’ he replied. ‘There were welts on both her cheeks as if she’d been struck repeatedly and —’ 

‘Objection Your Honour’ came the voice of the defence lawyer. ‘Conjecture on the part of the witness. He has no way of knowing how the plaintiff got those bruises.’

The judge gave him an icy stare and without a further word, Kingsbury sat down, duly chastised.

‘Please continue Mr. Caffrey’ the judge said.

‘As I was saying, she had welts on both her cheeks, pin pricks on the inside of her elbows…’ 

He felt his voice start to falter and fought it, unwilling to show any signs of weakness. ‘Her hair was matted, her wrists were bloody from where the ties had been and her ankles were swollen as if she’d been trying to break free. I… I examined her body for other injuries and I found bruises on her stomach. There was also… there was bodily fluid on her clothes and body although I didn’t know what it was at the time.’

Sensing Neal was on the edge of losing it, Mindy spoke up, holding up a document in her hands.

‘Your Honour, I’d like to draw your attention to the report from Dr. Edward Simons, the emergency room physician who first examined Ms Ellis. He states that she had been heavily sedated and had several lacerations which he documented in depth in his report. Furthermore, at the time of admission, the decision was made to intubate my client as her oxygen levels were dangerously low.’

The older man nodded. ‘Mr. Caffrey, in her written testimony, your wife spoke in detail of the days and weeks following the attack. From what you observed, how did she cope following her kidnapping.’

Neal glanced at Sara who was looking surprisingly composed. He hated talking about her in the third person when she was sitting right there next to him. She caught his eye and gave the briefest of nods, letting him know that she was fine with him speaking the unvarnished truth about how she’d been back then.

‘Sir, my wife is an extremely competent and self-sufficient woman. In the days and weeks that followed her kidnapping, she became…’

He hesitated, struggling to find a word that wouldn’t be perceived as pejorative. He felt Sara’s hand on his, urging him to go on.

‘She became withdrawn, vulnerable… extremely anxious and unable to cope with… with the smallest details of everyday life.’

‘Such as?’

Neal looked around the room. He didn’t want the kids upset and for the first time, he understood why Sara had been hesitant about having them in the room. 

‘She was unable to sleep with the lights out for several weeks. If I… if I left the room or disappeared without telling her where I was, she became… distraught. She had nightmares and on a few occasions, she seemed to look right through me when she looked at me as if she was remembering… Sometimes she would cling to me like… like she was drowning. And other times’ he said, his voice growing quiet, ‘she would cringe when I touched her.’

He stopped suddenly. The very core of their intimacy had been shattered for a time, their love life non existent for months on end. There was so much more to say but he refused to go there, to give her attacker this much power over them.

‘Ms Ellis’ the judge said, turning his attention towards Sara. ‘I understand you sought professional help.’

‘I didn’t want to at first. I fought my husband all the way. But, after a while I realized I wasn’t going to be able to get through this without help.’

‘So you went to therapy?’

Neal cleared his throat. ‘We both did Your Honour’ he replied. ‘It was a… a very difficult time for both of us.’

The man nodded in understanding. 

‘How did… the fallout from the attack affect your marriage?’

Neal hesitated once more. He hated admitting how tough things had been in front of the man who’d caused his wife to almost break apart at the seams. His eyes rose to stare at the accused defiantly as he weighed his words carefully. 

‘What this… man put my wife through was cruel and left her struggling for months. If it hadn’t been for the help we got, I don’t think Sara would have recovered.’

The judge nodded gravely and glanced at the accused who kept his eyes down.

‘Young man’ the judge said, his eyes finally settling on Liam. ‘How old are you?’

‘Seventeen’ he said, looking wise beyond his years.

‘You saw your parents go through this?’

Liam nodded. ‘My mom… she had a really hard time coping. Sometimes she would let out a scream in the middle of the night. A couple of times, I found her hiding in the bathtub crying.’

He glanced up at Sara sheepishly. She’d had no idea he’d been aware of her meltdowns.

‘My dad worried about her all the time. We would all try to make sure she wasn’t alone in the house or she would freak out.’

‘Freak out?’ the judge repeated.

‘I mean, she’d get really upset and she would shake and cry.’ 

‘Mr. Burke, you were there when Ms Ellis was finally located?’

‘Yes, I was with Neal when we found her. It’s… pretty well exactly how he described it.’

‘Pretty well?’ the judge repeated.

Peter glanced in Neal’s direction noticing his eyes lowered. ‘He was devastated when he found her. At first, we didn’t know if she was dead or alive.’

‘And you, young lady’ Judge Melançon said, pointing to Hope. ‘You saw your parents go through this as well?’

‘I was away at university when my mom was taken but I came right home. After she was released from hospital, she tried to downplay it, tell us she was all right but she wasn’t. She was jumpy, she was withdrawn and when you talked to her, you could tell she was… remembering what had happened to her. My dad… he did everything he could to get her some help but she fought it. At least in the beginning. It was horrible to see them struggling.’

Caitlin looked like she was about to jump out of her chair and the judge, a good observer, turned his attention to her.

‘And you are…’ he consulted a list in front of him. ‘Caitlin?’

‘That’s right. I live with the Caffreys and what Liam and Hope said is true. Sara would be fine one minute then she’d run out of the room or she’d just burst into tears. We were all afraid she would never get better.’

The room grew silent as the judge picked up one of the documents in front of him and skimmed in, presumably searching for some detail. 

‘Let’s take a one hour recess. I will return with my ruling and I’m prepared to proceed with sentencing today’ he said with authority.

Within seconds, he was on his feet, shuffling back to the door leading to his chambers. The tiny woman who was on his heels like a well trained puppy scooped up the documents and followed him out. The two guards who’d been standing like sentinels all this time, stepped forward and helped Hyun Than to his feet and led him out another door, presumably to a holding cell somewhere within the building. Sara avoided looking in his direction as he and his lawyer stepped out of the room.

The rest of the room remained quiet until Mindy Miller spoke up, breaking the tension.

‘All right, we’ve got an hour. Let’s all get something to eat.' 

WCWCWC

The flight to Atlanta was without incident. Logan had successfully slipped a sedative into Ginny’s drink and she was out like a light. He felt a brief tug at his heartstrings as he watched her sleep. He liked her just fine but he liked the big payoff of bringing in a nice young, innocent lamb to slaughter a whole lot more. He could feel his chest thumping as it always did when he came to the end of one of his ‘missions’. As a sideline, it paid great and he got to romance young girls without any long term consequences - the ultimate definition of win-win.

Ginny was recruit number four in what he hoped would be a long line of girls he’d be delivering to ‘headquarters’. Freddy (no last name) ran a tight, efficient operation. Along with his trusted den mother, a woman Logan knew only as J.J., the flesh-peddler took delivery of his girls and had them ‘producing’ for him within days. Considering the girls had been cruelly ripped from their families, there was always a short adaptation period but the drug program he had them on guaranteed that his girls remained mellow and more importantly cooperative. Once properly hooked, there was little to do but sit back and rake in the tidy profits. 

Logan called over the flight attendant with a crook of his finger. ‘I’ve arranged for priority deplaning for me and my sister. I requested a wheelchair for her’ he said pointing to a sleeping Ginny.

‘Yes, we’ve got that ready for you. I’ll bring it over as soon as the captain gives the all clear’ the pretty woman said.

Logan sighed in relief as he checked his watch. Right on time. And in another couple of hours, he’d be back on a plane to New York where the cycle would begin once more. He thought of the young girl he’d handpicked for the next round, wondering if she would be another success story. Time would tell.

WCWCWC

The Caffrey contingent found a large, round booth in a far corner of the busy cafeteria. Neal kept an inquisitive eye on the entrance, waiting for Mindy and Sara to reemerge from their short debrief. He’d offered to stay behind with them but Sara’s body language had been clear; she needed to do this bit by herself. 

‘I had no idea your mom was such a badass lawyer’ Liam whispered to his boyfriend as they perused the menu.

Cody leaned in, keeping his voice down. ‘To be honest, I’ve never seen her in action before. I have to admit, it’s pretty impressive stuff.’

He saw a cloud pass over Liam’s gaze. ‘Don’t worry babe, it’s almost over. You heard the judge, he’s already made up his mind. It’s just a question of how long he’s going to give this creep.’

Liam nodded absentmindedly. ‘I expected… I’m not sure what I expected but I thought the guy would be some big, burly brute. He’s just a tiny guy.’

Cody could read between the lines. ‘Your mom was drugged and tied up. She wouldn’t have been able to defend herself against a swarm of bees’ he reminded him.

‘I know. I just hate seeing her like this… vulnerable all over again. She’s come such a long way since this all happened.’

Cody placed a reassuring hand on his arm. ‘It’s just for today. She’s having to relive it but you’ll see, she’ll be back to her old self in a couple of days.’

Hope turned to look at her dad. ‘Should we order for Mom?’ she asked.

Neal pried his gaze away from the doorway where he’d been staring for the past five minutes. ‘Hum… yeah why don’t you get her a Cobb salad. I’m not sure if she’ll eat it but…’

Hope nodded and returned her gaze to Cameron who’d been uncharacteristically quiet all morning. He’d always had nothing but admiration for Hope’s mom and he hated seeing her so anguished. He had a fleeting thought of how he’d feel if something this horrible ever happened to Hope and he glanced at his future father-in-law, seeing the tight lines forming on his forehead. 

‘How are you holding up buddy?’ came Peter’s voice, pulling Neal out of his reverie.

Neal forced a smile in his best friend’s direction. ‘I’m good’ he fibbed. ‘I’m just… anxious for Sara to get back.’

‘She did an amazing job’ Elizabeth said. ‘You both did.’

Neal nodded and eked out another phoney Caffrey smile. He would have done anything to keep his wife from having to go through all this.

‘At least the judge didn’t have her recite the whole damn thing all over again’ he said as he pretended to look at the menu. 

He was thankful Judge Melançon had spared her that much. He hated the thought of her having to describe her feelings of total helplessness in front of the monster who’d assaulted her. To be honest, he wasn’t sure how he would have coped having to hear her give her testimony while the asshole sat there and stared back at them. Would he have been able to keep his cool?

The waitress appeared taking everyone’s food orders. Neal forced himself to order a sandwich although he doubted he’d be able to get anything down. He glanced around the table at his extended family, letting out a soft exhale. It was a relief to have everyone together supporting Sara, supporting him.

The two women appeared in the doorway and made their way towards the group, Sara looking more determined than ever. Neal studied her as she moved, her head held up high in that ‘don’t try messing with me’ way she had of walking. 

He smiled, relieved. It was going to be all right. 

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

As she’d done that morning, Mindy Miller led Sara and Neal into the small meeting space adjoining the hearing room. Everyone else took their seats in the large conference room, waiting for the proceeding to reconvene. 

‘Like I told Sara earlier, you both did a great job. How are you feeling Neal?’

How are you feeling Neal? It was nice of her to ask but at the moment, the man was more concerned about how his wife was doing.

‘I’m fine’ he replied dismissively, studying Sara as he spoke.

She’d put on a great show in front of the kids, had even taken a few bites of her salad but now, back in this colourless room under fluorescent lights, she looked pale and a little shaky.

‘The hard part is done’ Mindy continued. ‘The judge might come back with a few more questions but basically, he’s going to rule and hand out his sentence. So, we’re all going to sit there quietly and listen.’

‘What… how much time do you thing he’s going to give him?’ Neal asked.

‘He has a lot of discretion although there are established guidelines. In the case of second degree aggravated sexual assault, it can vary between three and a half and fifteen years, depending on the gravity of the situation. I would consider anything over five years to be a victory in this case. Like I said, Judge Melançon is known to rule based on the harm he perceives the victim has suffered so he may choose to go higher.’

She grabbed for the pitcher of water on the table, pouring a glass and handing it to Sara who put her hand up to decline.

‘Drink it’ Mindy said. ‘That’s an order. You’re looking a little… pale.’

Sara took the glass and forced down a gulp while Neal and Mindy watched. 

‘The judge called me and Dickhead into his chambers during recess’ Mindy continued, straight faced. ‘He gave the guy one last chance to change his client’s plea but… Anyway, that’ll hurt him too. No judge likes a convicted sexual predator who can’t admit to or repent for his crimes.’

Mindy checked her watch. ‘We’ve got five minutes. I’ll go ahead and get settled. You two take a few seconds to pull yourselves together.’

‘Do I look like I need to pull myself together?’ Sara asked, her voice unsteady. She ran her hand over her hair nervously.

‘No… I just meant… Take a minute and have a few more sips of water’ she said, gently touching her client’s arm before walking out.

Once alone with Neal, Sara put down the glass and pulled out a small mirror from her purse, checking her reflection before reapplying some lipstick. Neal noticed her hands were trembling. 

‘How’s that?’ she asked as she turned to face him.

He lifted his arms, reaching out to touch her when Sara took a decisive step back. ‘No Neal! Don’t touch me.’

He frowned and let his arm fall to his side with a muted thud. 

‘I just… I don’t trust myself right now’ Sara said, her voice weak. ‘If I let you touch me… I’m afraid I’ll fall apart.’

He nodded in understanding. As much as he wanted to hold her for a moment, let her draw strength from him (or was it the other way around), he needed to respect her wishes.

‘Okay’ he said softly. ‘As long as you promise to let me hold you later.’

She let out a shaky sigh. ‘I promise.’

He picked up the glass of water and held it out for her. ‘Two more sips’ he said.

WCWCWC

It was a testament to the self-absorption of those travelling in and out of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport that no one paid particular attention to the man pushing a barely conscious young woman around in a wheelchair. Ginny was pretty much out of it, just conscious enough to cooperate as Logan settled her into the cab he’d hailed before she fell back into a deep slumber. 

‘Peachtree Street’ he called out to the driver before grabbing Ginny’s purse and overnight bag. 

He proceeded to rifle through her things, removing any identification the teen had in her wallet - her high school ID, her Starbucks and HMV loyalty cards, a pre-loaded MasterCard, a photograph of her moms and a strip of pics taken with Olivia as the two goofed around for the camera at the local mall. He stuffed the items into his bag and kept digging. Without her knowledge, he’d taken both her phones and removed the batteries back when they were still in New York, dumping everything just before boarding the plane. He spotted the stuffed toy in the bottom of her bag and scoffed, tempted to remove it. What harm could it do? She would be needing comfort in the days and weeks to come and he sure as hell wouldn’t be there to provide it for her. 

J.J. was pacing out on the sidewalk when the taxi pulled up to the dilapidated building. She stubbed out her cigarette and walked over to greet them, opening the cab’s passenger door. Although she’d seen photographs of Ginny, it was her first look at her new acquisition in person. She eyed her up and down as Logan coaxed the teen out of the cab, holding her up and leading her to the front door of her new home.

‘Nice’ the woman said appraisingly. ‘Come on, I’ve got her room ready.’

WCWCWC

The worse was over but Sara was feeling more fidgety than she’d felt all day. Perhaps it was the fact that all those months of preparation were finally coming to a head or that, after today, she would no longer have any reason to let her attacker continue to live rent free in her head.

She was aware that all eyes were on her as she and Neal took their seats. Still no Than or his lawyer, still no judge - just friendly, loving eyes pointed in her direction in deep concern. Neal was surprised when she reached out for his hand and he instantly felt the clamminess in her grip. Still she wouldn’t look at him; perhaps it was all just too much.

The hallway door opened and, as before, the big burly lawyer stepped in followed by his client. The two men took their seats in silence. Sara ventured a peek at her attacker one more time: hard lines on his leathery face, shoulders drooped, eyes downcast. He was already serving thirty years for crimes against the state. Would the judge be adding to that today? And although it couldn’t change what happened, would there be vindication for Sara and Neal?

Mindy gave her one last reassuring glance just as the door to the judge’s chambers opened and the man appeared, his flowing robe filling the doorway. Again, he lumbered to his seat with the little woman following close behind still clutching the case documents against her chest like some precious treasure.

‘I’ve reread your testimony’ Judge Melançon declared as he took his seat. ‘I’m very sorry for what you went through Ms Ellis.’

Sara swallowed, her throat dry. 

‘Are you still in therapy?’ he asked.

She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Instead, she let out a shaky breath. She tried again, this time her voice quiet as she spoke.

‘Not… not formally. But I did feel the need to visit my therapist recently. I was… anxious about today.’

He nodded. ‘Sadly, the repercussions of such events can drag on for years’ he commented as he turned his attention to the accused.

‘Mr. Than, do you have anything to say to Ms. Ellis before I render my judgement?’ he asked.

The man kept his eyes down and shook his head.

‘That’s unfortunate. This would be an excellent time to atone for your despicable behaviour, should you choose to speak up.’

Again, there was silence and Hyun Than looked up this time, eyes hardened as they glared back at Sara. Neal felt a jolt of electricity through his fingers as Sara reacted to the cold hard stare. He tightened his grip on her hand and ran his thumb across her knuckles in an attempt to ground her. 

‘Mr. Than, the evidence is clear that while you and your associate held Ms Ellis hostage, you took advantage of the situation, adding to the indignation by sexually assaulting her when she was at her weakest. I therefore find you guilty of sexual assault in the second degree.’ 

Hearing the words that summed up the horrors Sara suffered had Neal’s blood running cold. He felt a chill up and down his spine and fought the urge to stand up and plant his fist straight into Than’s ugly mug. 

‘The law gives me latitude in imposing the sentence for such a crime. I’m certain your lawyer has explained to you that punishment can range from three and a half to fifteen years. In this case, I have become acutely aware of the effect of your actions on Ms. Ellis, her husband and the rest of her family. Your unwillingness to accept the ramifications of your actions and your lack of contrition have also factored into my decision. I therefore sentence you to ten years to be served in a federal penitentiary. This time will not be served concurrently with your present sentence but rather will be served consecutively.’

Sara’s breathing grew shallow as Mindy glanced her way with a reassuring smile. Across the table, Hyun Than glanced at his lawyer, his face contorted. 

‘Your Honour’ the attorney said, getting to his feet. ‘The sentence appears rather harsh considering the circumstances.’

‘Please sit down Mr. Kingsbury’ the judge said in a tone that left no room for discussion. ‘Your client’s actions were cowardly and despicable and have caused great harm to the plaintiff. My sentence reflects the facts of the case, the lack of remorse on your client’s part and the harm caused to the plaintiff. I will not be revisiting my decision.’

‘Ms. Miller, do you have anything to add before I call an end to this hearing?’

‘No Your Honour, the plaintiff is satisfied with the decision of the Court.’

Judge Melançon nodded and looked directly at Sara. ‘Ms Ellis, I wish you and your family all the best. I hope you will be able to put this most unfortunate situation behind you.’

Sara nodded, unable to speak. The judge stood, gathering his robe and shuffled towards the door to his chambers with his clerk following close behind. Whispers could be heard once he’d left the room as everyone reacted to the sentence. 

There was a small commotion as the guards reappeared to take the prisoner away. Sara was unable to fight the urge to glance in his direction. For a brief second, their eyes met and he stared straight through her, his lips moving as he silently mouthed the word ‘bitch’.

She gasped. The first sign that Neal had witnessed the exchange was the rapidity with which he dropped Sara’s hand. The sound of his chair scraping the floor resonated in the room as everyone’s eyes moved in his direction. He stood, his eyes filled with rage, intent on crossing the room when Mindy stood, blocking his way. 

‘Neal!’ she called out in warning. ‘Don’t!’

She leaned in to speak quietly in his ear. ‘He’s not worth it’ she warned.

Neal reacted by standing still for a moment, letting Mindy’s words of wisdom take root. It wouldn’t do Sara any good if he landed himself in jail for aggravated assault. Meanwhile, the guards had begun to lead the prisoner out of the room with his lawyer following close behind. Mindy hooked her arm in Sara’s and led her to the small meeting room next door as Neal followed them out.

Sara was visibly shaken, her face pallid.

‘You all right?’ Mindy asked as she coaxed her client to sit down.

Sara nodded but didn’t speak. 

‘That’s a very severe sentence the judge just gave Than. And to have him serve his time consecutively… well, that’s a bonus. He won’t be out for at least another thirty-five years.’

‘I thought it would feel… better when I heard the sentence’ Sara murmured, her voice trembling.

Mindy touched her arm. ‘There’s always a letdown after something like this. Just… give yourself some time to let the dust settle.’

Neal watched, concern in his eyes. What he’d expected to be a moment of celebration had taken a different turn as Sara’s mood had grown sullen. He and Mindy exchanged worried glances with Mindy giving him an encouraging nod.

‘I’ll leave you two’ she said. ‘Take your time, we’ll be waiting in the hallway.’

WCWCWC

Ginny struggled to open her eyes, fighting the thick fog in her brain. Where the hell was she? And where was Logan? She blinked as she took in her surroundings: a small room with an old beat up dresser and a single bed. She spotted her overnight bag on the floor.

‘Logan!’ she called out as her brain cleared.

She could hear voices outside the small room, female voices chatting and just as she’d managed to sit up, a woman appeared in the doorway. She was tall and slim, her skin pocked, deep lines around her lips. She wore a flowing kimono with her long blondish hair tucked into an untidy bun.

‘Well hello sweetheart’ the woman said as she took a drag of her cigarette. ‘Welcome to your new home.’

WCWCWC

‘Is she all right?’ Liam asked when Mindy reappeared.

‘She’s fine’ she replied reassuringly as her own son looked on. ‘It’s been… very intense and she just needs a few minutes to pull herself together.’

As Mindy spoke, everyone gathered around her, the same look of worry on their faces.

‘Do you think we should postpone the little get together we were going to have over at our place?’ Elizabeth asked.

Mindy shrugged. ‘Let’s leave that up to Sara, okay? Just sit tight, she should be out in a minute.’

El turned to look at Emily. ‘What do you think?’

‘I think Mindy’s right. Let’s see how she feels when she comes out. It’s been a shock for her to come face to face with this guy. And there’ll be the inevitable letdown now that it’s all over.’

‘Aunt Em is right’ Hope said. ‘Mom’s been so uptight about all this for weeks now. I just didn’t expect her to be so upset.’

The group gathered around, a tight knit family waiting to welcome their loved ones back to the fold. 

WCWCWC

Neal waited for a sign from his wife that she was ready to rejoin the rest of the family. He sat across from her, in no mood to rush her.

‘Can you believe it? He gave him ten years’ she said, incredulous. 

‘You heard Mindy. The judge put a lot of stock in everything you went through.’

‘Everything we went through’ she corrected, looking up at her husband.

He was struck by her vacuous expression. It was as if her body was still catching up to what her brain now knew. He’d imagined relief in her eyes, a broad smile on her face, feisty Sara Ellis finally vindicated. Instead, she was a shell of her usual self, reminiscent of those weeks and months following the kidnapping, a time he’d hoped they’d left behind for good. He shook off his unease; he needed to give her some time.

‘What we went through’ he acknowledged. ‘Babe, this is all good.’

She nodded but her face remained ashen. ‘I know it is… I just… I didn’t expect to feel this way.’

‘Sara, you’ve just spent most of the day face to face with the bastard who attacked you. How did you think you’d feel?’

She shrugged. ‘I guess I just expected to feel more… relieved.’

‘You will honey, you will’ he said. ‘You just need to give yourself a little time.’

She glanced towards the door to the room. ‘I guess we should get out there. Everybody’s going to wonder what’s going on.’

With difficulty, he refrained from touching her, fighting with his instincts in order to respect her earlier wishes. ‘Don’t worry about what everybody else is thinking. We’ll go out there when you’re good and ready.’

She nodded and gave him a weak smile. ‘It’s really over, isn’t it?’

‘It is’ he said with a warm smile. ‘And you can finally put this all behind you once and for all. We both can.’

She took a few shaky breaths and pasted on a smile. ‘Don’t look so worried. I’m going to be fine Neal’ she told him, getting some of her sass back.

‘I know you will’ he countered, trying to sound optimistic. ‘It’s just… it’s a lot what happened here today.'

‘Okay… I think I’m ready’ she announced as she sprung to her feet.

Neal gave her one last appraising glance and stood, leading the way. He had just placed his hand on the doorknob when she spoke once more, stopping him dead in his tracks.

‘Neal?’

‘Yeah?’ he replied, turning to face her.

Tears glistened in her eyes as she looked at him. 

‘Do you think I could have that hug now?’

WCWCWC

The mountain of case files stared back at Diana as she sighed dramatically. Even though she’d been hard at it all day and had even passed on lunch, the pile looked taller than it had when she’d first arrived that morning. Lately, she’d been feeling like she could be working around the clock and not making any significant progress. She glanced down at the bullpen where two desks were still occupied. Everyone else had done what normal mortals did and had gone home to their families.

Her cell phone chimed, a personal call and she glanced at the smiling face of her wife on the screen.

‘Hey!’

‘Hey yourself’ came Christie’s reply. ‘Please tell me you’re already on your way home.’

‘I could tell you that…’

‘Awww come on babe. I made your favourite for dinner.’

‘You made lasagna?’ Diana said, eyes bright.

‘Your other favourite’ came the reply.

‘Pasta with clam sauce?’

‘No… your other other favourite’ Christie said with a giggle.

‘If you want me to come home in time for dinner, you’re going to have to do better than that.’

‘Hey, did Ginny say anything to you about going to a friend’s house after school?’

‘What? She’s not home yet?’ Diana asked as she glanced at her watch.

‘She’s probably taking advantage of her newfound freedom now that she’s no longer grounded.’

‘She should check in though… she knows that.’

Christie sighed. ‘Look, I’ll grill Liv and I’ll start calling around to some of her friends. You just get your pretty little ass home before there’s no more of this delicious tuna noodle casserole left.’

There was a loud whine on the line. ‘You’re kidding! You expect me to come running home for tuna casserole?’

‘Just… just come home’ Christie said before hanging up.

Diana put down the phone and stared once more at the case files. ‘All right, which one of you lucky guys gets to come home with me?’

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

It only took two margaritas for Sara to start to mellow out and finally let go of the anvil that had been strapped to her chest all day. Okay, they were particularly heavy pours but Neal, who’d offered to tend bar over at the Burkes, was pleased with the result. He had a momentary longing to mix one for himself but the yearning passed quickly enough. The important thing was for Sara to revert to being her old self ASAP and if that required a little extra lubrication, so be it.

‘Here you go babe’ he said as he handed her another drink.

‘Neal…’ she said, dropping her voice so as not to be overheard. ‘I’m already pretty sloshed.’

He chuckled. ‘So? How does it feel?’

She smiled at him wickedly. ‘Gooood’ she admitted.

He placed a kiss on the top of her head. ‘Enjoy, just don’t overdo it’ he said with a wink. 

There was an explosion of laughter from the kitchen and Sara teetered over to join Emily, Mozzie, Hope and Elizabeth who had gathered around the kitchen island over a plate of appetizers. Mozzie, despite his refusal to participate in the legal proceedings was, as usual, morbidly curious about how things had gone and he’d been grilling the ladies on the events of the day as he wolfed down samples of El’s excellent cuisine.

‘What are we laughing at?’ Sara asked as she inelegantly parked her butt on one of the stools.

‘I was just telling Mozzie what a badass that judge was’ Elizabeth said.

The comment which might have upset Sara pre-margarita just washed over her. ‘He was’ she agreed. ‘He was a really nice man.’

Mozzie exchanged glances with Elizabeth who didn’t hesitate to give him the evil eye. The whole idea behind this get-together was to distract Sara, help her forget the painfully difficult day she’d just had.

‘I’ve got an idea’ said Elizabeth, jumping to her feet. ‘Who wants to play a friendly game of crocket?’

Hope let out a howl. ‘Crocket? What is this, Tuesday evening at the nursing home?’

El reached under the island and pulled out a large box. ‘Peter bought it for when we have company.’

Sara giggled. In her present state, she was pretty well game for anything. She stood, rather unsteadily and slipped out of her four inch heels, kicking them off to the side. 

‘All right’ she cried out just as Cam appeared from the living room. ‘Guys against girls!’

WCWCWC

Whatever drugs she still had in her system were just enough to keep Virginia Berrigan from totally losing her shit. Her mind was a little foggy although one persistent thought kept piercing through the fog. 

‘Where’s Logan?’ she asked the woman who had settled on the edge of the bed.

She looked at her watch and took another drag of her cigarette. ‘Probably half way back to New York by now’ she said, her voice gruff.

‘What do you mean? What is this place?’

‘This, sweetheart, is your new home. Name’s Janine Jameson by the way but everybody calls me J.J.’

Ginny frowned, trying to make sense of things.

‘And you are Patricia Jones or as we like to call you around here, Trish.’

‘My name is Virginia Berrigan’ Ginny said with a pout.

J.J. chuckled and threw something on the bed. ‘Not according to this newly minted birth certificate. You know, that’s a really fine picture of you.’

Ginny reached for the plastic covered ID. ‘What?’

‘Oh honey, here’ J.J. said, producing a pill bottle from her pocket and pulling out one tiny blue pill. ‘Take this. It’ll take the edge off.’

‘I don’t want that’ Ginny said, feeling her throat tighten.

‘Believe me, it’ll make your life a lot easier all around if you just take what’s offered. Free of charge. Consider me your new pharmacist’ she added with a throaty laugh. ‘Among other things.’

‘Now, Sandy will be bringing you up some dinner in a little while. I suggest you eat while you can and then you and I will have a little talk.’

A young girl appeared in the doorway, clad in nothing but a bustier and high heel leather boots that looked like they’d seen better days. 

‘J.J., Monica needs you’ she said, eyeing Ginny up and down.

‘I’ll be right there’ the woman replied as she got to her feet.

‘Take the pill and eat. I’ll be back in a little while’ she added in Ginny’s direction.

‘But…’

The woman threw a pack of cigarettes on the bed and stepped out, locking the door behind her.

WCWCWC

The crocket game turned out to be the perfect vehicle to let loose and have some fun. Neal watched fondly as Sara frolicked in the grass, barefoot, chasing the wooden ball along the fence of the Burkes’ backyard. It was great to hear her laughter resonating after the rough day they’d had. After the first round, Neal and Peter begged off and settled in the living room with fresh drinks while the rest of the group continued to chase balls with their wooden mallets.

‘I notice you’re keeping your wife well lubricated’ Peter said as Neal settled across from him in the living room.

‘Does that make me some kind of… creep?’

‘No, of course not’ Peter replied with a chuckle.

‘I’m just trying to take the edge off. She’s been on pins and needles for days now.’

Peter nodded and pointed to the glass in his best friend’s hand. ‘Do you miss it?’

‘Drinking? Sometimes.’

‘Today?’

‘No, I’m good’ Neal said, sipping his club soda. ‘I’m just relieved to see Sara relaxing a little. I’m glad she felt up to coming over - this is a great distraction.’

Peter stared down at his beer. ‘You showed amazing restraint today’ he commented. ‘For a minute there, I thought you were going to jump down that guy's throat.’

‘If it hadn’t been for Mindy, I probably would have.’

‘I know you’re worried about Sara but… what about you? Are you going to be okay?’

Neal glanced towards the backyard, the sound of Sara’s warm laughter audible from where he sat. ‘To be honest Peter, if Sara’s good, I’m good.’

‘Still, hearing all those details, having to talk about the night we found her. I know that wasn’t easy.’

Neal shrugged and sipped his drink. ‘Like I said, Sara and I have pretty well put this all behind us. This is just a… small hiccup. If I can just get her over the hump, we’ll be fine.’

His mind wandered and he leaned forward, his voice low. ‘Peter, has Diana said anything to you about Ginny?’

‘Ginny? What about Ginny?’

‘She’s been acting out, defying her moms, drinking, skipping school, sneaking out to see boys.’

‘Sweet little Ginny?’

‘She’s not a baby anymore’ Neal reminded him. ‘Caitlin is convinced she’s fallen in with the wrong crowd. Or at least one bad dude.’

Peter frowned.

‘Sometimes Caitlin goes to the same parties and she’s seen Ginny doing drugs. She says she’s hanging out with this older guy. Anyway, Caitlin seems to think this guy is linked to some sort of sex trade.’

‘What?’

‘I know, it sounds far-fetched but from what she told me, there’s reason to be alarmed. I feel like I should be letting Diana know what’s going on.’

‘Well, I haven’t noticed anything but I haven’t seen the girls since… well, since you were all over for that barbecue a while back.’

‘You didn’t notice the girls were high that night?’

‘Really?’

Neal sighed. ‘Caitlin says Ginny brought some weed and they all smoked up when they went for a walk.’

Peter seemed to reflect. ‘I guess I’m out of practice. My radar’s gone wonky.’

‘It’s not you… Sadly, Sara and I have had a lot of practice with Caitlin.’

‘So what are you going to do?’

‘I’m having lunch with Diana tomorrow. I’m going to let her know what Caitlin saw.’

His eyes widened as he got an idea. ‘I don’t suppose I could convince you to come along. For moral support.’

Peter shrugged. ‘If you think it’ll help. But you’re going to have to fill me in on the details.’

WCWCWC

‘I look like I’m all glammed up to go to some awards show’ Liam said as he examined himself in the mirror.

‘What are you talking about? The colour really suits you’ Cody replied, lurking behind him. 

‘Isn’t it a bit… I don’t know… showy?’

‘It brings out the green in your eyes’ Cody reassured him as he swatted his butt playfully.

‘So what do we think?’ the salesman asked, reappearing with a couple more shirts. ‘I thought you might like these.’

He hung them in the change room and gave a not so discreet yet appreciative look at Liam’s backside. Cody rolled his eyes; this always happened when they went shopping. 

With the prom days away, Liam needed to up his game. Nothing in his closet was appropriate for a night of partying and Cody was determined to get his boyfriend into something a little more… festive than his usual lycra team uniform. 

‘Come on Liam, take a chance. It looks great on you.’

Liam grimaced as he studied his reflection. ‘I don’t know… I don’t think this is me.’

‘Look, we said we were going to the prom. Unapologetic, right?’

‘I know… I just…’

‘Babe, you can’t wear your sweats to the prom.’

Liam chuckled. Of course, Cody was right. He gave himself one more appraising look.

‘And I don’t look like some pimp?’

‘Jesus babe! That is pure silk’ Cody said, running his hand up his boyfriend’s back. ‘Classy stuff and it feeeeels good’ he added suggestively.

Liam looked away from his reflection and into Cody’s eyes which were bright and full of mischief. 

‘Okay’ he finally relented. ‘On one condition.’

Cody leaned in, smiling. ‘You promise to take it off me at the end of the night.

WCWCWC

‘You glad we went over to the Burkes?’

Sara purred and tightened her grip around her husband’s waist as they lay, bodies intertwined. She let her hand linger down his chest, stopping to run her nails roughly over his nipple. He shuddered.

‘Oh it’s like that, is it?’ he groaned as he felt himself stir.

‘Maybeeee’ she replied, her voice hoarse.

‘Well, I am here to serve… whatever you need’ Neal replied, his hand lingering down her arm.

‘Thanks for today Neal’ she murmured.

‘I didn’t do anything.’ 

‘That’s not true. You were there, holding my hand, helping me through. I couldn’t have done it without you.’

He exhaled, his mind briefly returning to the events of the day. He pushed away the fleeting thought as he reached down to kiss her.

‘What do you say we forget about today? This is a whole new beginning for us.’

She sighed and he felt her nod against his chest. ‘New beginning…’ she repeated, her voice lazy.

Neal chuckled. He was starting to suspect that she was about to nod off - either way, he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do: get his wife through the day and help her relax and let go of all that angst. She surprised him with another warm hug, running her hand down his back as she pressed her body against his. Her hand landed on his butt which she squeezed as he let out a soft moan. She was looking a little too relaxed and he was giving it 50/50 odds that this would develop into anything more than a random grope.

Her mouth landed on his nipple. She licked, gave a brief suckle and bit down. Okay maybe 60/40. 

Neal let out an appreciative moan. ‘Babe…’ he uttered.

‘Serves you right for getting me drunk’ she said playfully.

‘Getting you drunk?’ he repeated. ‘You’re making me sound like some sort of drug dealer.’

She giggled and propped herself up on her elbow, gazing down at him. ‘I do appreciate everything you did today… including making me those loaded margaritas.’

He ran his hand through her hair, her bright eyes staring back at him. She looked beautiful, her ivory skin and warm luscious lips framed by her red tresses. He felt his heart swell. For so long, he’d worried about her never coming back to him, he’d feared playful, fearless Sara would disappear under the weight of what that monster had done to her. But the fates had been kind and she’d reemerged stronger than ever.

‘I love you’ he murmured longingly.

She gave a beaming smile in response and he gasped, overcome by his love for this woman who drove him nuts at every turn. He pulled her in for a deep, probing kiss and felt her melt against his lips. Okay, let’s call it 70/30 he reflected.

The kiss deepened and Neal felt his breath start to falter. After a moment, Sara pulled away and settled in the crook of his neck, nibbling softly and murmuring sweet gibberish. Her breathing began to slow and her body grew slack as the kisses grew less frequent until she settled on his chest with a loud, satisfied sigh. 

She was out like a light.

‘Never play the odds’ Neal murmured under his breath.

WCWCWC

Dinner came as promised but Ginny was unable to take a single bite. She heard the door lock as the young woman left her alone once again. She stared at the pill the older woman had left and threw it back, chasing it away with the water that had been left behind. Anything was better than the sheer terror she was feeling. She walked to the small window, noticing steel bars on the outside. What was this place? 

From her vantage point, she could see the street, a lone pedestrian strolling by, a convenience store across the way, other rundown buildings on either side. She was starting to relax from the pill she’d taken when she heard the door handle jiggle and she startled at the sight of J.J. standing in the doorway. This time, she was wearing a long flowing tie dye dress that looked like something from the seventies and her hair was down, framing her thin, line etched face.

‘Trish?’ the woman said, glancing at the tray on the bed. ‘You didn’t eat.’

‘I told you my name is Ginny!’

‘And I told you that you’re Patricia Jones. The sooner you make peace with that, the better off you’ll be.’

Ginny felt tears stinging her eyes. Up until now, she’d been too confused to be upset but now things were slowly coming into focus. She’d read about this kind of thing: runaways being called into service as hookers. Had she really just walked into this blindly?

‘I want Logan’ she said defiantly.

‘Honey, Logan is just the courier. His job was to get you ready, deliver you and go back to where he came from.’

‘No! It’s not true! He loves me.’

J.J. let out a throaty laugh that deteriorated into a phlegmy cough. ‘Oh honey, give yourself some time. You’ll see, you’ll get to know the other girls. It’s a good life… you’ve got a roof over your head, three square meals a day, an unending supply of little friends’ she added, shaking the pill bottle in her pocket. ‘You just need to play by the rules and things will work out just fine.’

Ginny took a few steps and stood directly in front of her. ‘I want to go home!’ she shouted.

J.J. stared back, unimpressed. She’d seen the song and dance countless times before. ‘I’m sure you do but that’ll change, you’ll see.’ 

‘You can’t keep me here. I’ll run away!’ Ginny shouted defiantly.

‘Sit down child’ J.J. said. ‘Let me explain something to you.’ She pulled out a photograph from her pocket and Ginny’s eyes grew at the sight of her moms and her sister.

‘You belong to Freddy now.’

Ginny felt tears running down her face. ‘Freddy?’

‘Yes, Freddy. You’ll get to meet him. Once. And then, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll pray that you never have to see him again. You really don’t want to get in his crosshairs.’

She lowered her voice as if confiding a secret. ‘He’s not a very nice man. You see, I’m your lifeline here. You want privileges, you do as you’re told otherwise you’re confined to these four walls. Honey, don’t fight it. Believe me, you can never win.’

Ginny kept staring back, her gaze defiant.

J.J.’s eyes remained trained on her. ‘Freddy’s got a network that includes thugs and drug dealers - not very nice people. And he has very long arms. You see, we know all we need to know about your family. Your moms, your beautiful sister… She’s a junior at White Plains High, isn’t she? She does improv right? I hear she’s a good basketball player too and that she’s an honour student. It would be terrible, don’t you think, if something happened to her? Your moms are already dealing with losing you, think how they would feel if Olivia had an accident.’

‘You’re lying’ Ginny spat out. 

J.J. ran her hand over the image of Olivia’s face. ‘Such a pretty face. Such a good, obedient girl, isn’t she? But accidents happen…’

‘No! Don’t hurt my sister.’

‘You’re playing in our world now Trish and you’re at the very bottom of the totem pole. It’s all about survival. So let’s take things one at a time. You eat when we tell you, you stay on your meds, you follow orders and nobody gets hurt. I’m here to make sure all Freddy’s girls are safe and well taken care of.’

Ginny just stared out into space, taking it all in. This had to be some horrible dream and she’d be waking up next to Logan any minute.

‘Now eat’ J.J. said pointing to the tray of congealed food. ‘Because there’s nothing else to eat until morning. If you behave, soon you can start mingling with the other girls.’

She placed a pill on the dresser. 'Before you go to sleep, take this and I’ll be back in the morning so we can talk about what happens next.’

The sound of the lock was heard as Ginny felt her breath grow shallow. She grabbed onto the edge of the dresser to keep from falling but she couldn’t feel her hands and her legs gave out as she collapsed at the foot of the bed. 

Sobbing. 

WCWCWC

‘I knew we should have grounded her for more than a week’ Diana said as she scrolled down her phone.

‘Calm down’ Christie replied. ‘She’s just at a friend’s house.’

It was going on 7:30, past dinner time. Olivia had checked in hours ago, letting her moms know she’d be having dinner at her friend Cara’s place and would be back by 8:00. At least one of their kids knew enough to follow the rules.

‘She drives me absolutely bonkers. Two days, two bloody days since she was grounded and she’s at it again!’

The women had made a list and divvied up the calls, getting rebuffed at every turn. This wild child was going to be the death of them.

‘Who you texting?’ Christie asked.

‘I’m telling Liv to come home. Maybe she knows where her sister is.’ 

Christie’s phone rang in her hands. ‘Hello?’

‘Hi, it’s Joan Burant. I promised I’d call you back when Stacy got home.’

Christie put the call on speaker as she and Diana both moved in to listen.

‘Stacy hasn’t seen Ginny all day. Says she wasn’t at school.’

‘Wasn’t at school?’ Diana repeated.

‘Yeah, that’s what she says. They have biology together and Ginny wasn’t in class.’

‘Thanks’ Christie said, her voice tight.

The women exchanged looks. ‘Now I’m starting to really get worried’ Christie admitted to her wife.

Diana returned to the list, double checking that each of Ginny’s friends had been contacted. ‘We’re running out of friends’ she said as the back door opened and Olivia appeared, immediately sensing the tension in the room.

‘Where’s your sister?’ Diana asked accusingly.

Olivia threw her backpack on the floor and looked up at her mom. ‘I don’t know… I’m not her keeper’ she replied defensively.

‘Did you see her at school today?’

Olivia searched her memory. The two of them didn’t exactly run with the same crowd so it wasn’t particularly surprising that she wouldn’t have seen her at lunch.

‘I didn’t see her but… her lunch period is before mine anyway.’

The two women exchanged another worried look. ‘None of her friends have seen her all day’ Christie admitted.

Diana picked up on something in her daughter’s eyes. ‘What? What is it? It’s a boy isn’t it?’

Olivia grew uneasy. If she ratted out her sister, she’d be… well, a rat and nobody did that to their sister.

‘I don’t know…’ she attempted without much success.

‘Spill! Now!’ Diana shouted. ‘This is no time to play the loyalty card.’

There was really no escape. Olivia looked from Diana to Christie, guilt written all over her face. ‘She did say she was seeing this guy.’

‘What guy? Someone from school?’ Christie prodded, glancing at the list once more.

‘No… some other, older guy she met.’

‘Older!’ Diana said, her voice much too loud.

Christie recalled the night she’d picked Ginny up at Hannah’s place, the night she’d been partying and had turned up stinking drunk. 

‘Is this some guy she met at that party she was at?’ Christie asked.

Olivia nodded, eyes downcast. ‘She says she’s been seeing him behind your back.’

‘Who is he?’

‘I don’t know… she just said his name was…’ Olivia hesitated for a moment. ‘Landon… or Layton or… No, it was Logan. She said his name was Logan.’

Feeling like crap for giving up her sister, Olivia grabbed her bag and wandered down the hall to her bedroom while her moms stared back at each other.

‘Where do we find this guy?’ Diana asked.

Christie seemed to be recalling more details from that night, weeks ago. ‘Hannah went to that party with her. Maybe she can tell us something about him.’

‘I think we should go over there’ Diana said as she reached for her purse.

Christie grabbed car keys and the women ran out to the car. They were halfway there when the front door opened and Olivia appeared, holding a piece of paper in her hands and waving it frantically.

‘Guys!’ she shouted after them. ‘I think you two better look at this.’ 

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

‘Here you go’ Laura Wilson said as she placed a couple of steaming cups of coffee in front of Diana and Christie. ‘Hope you don’t mind, it’s decaf. That’s all I have in the house.’

Christie gave her a half hearted smile and reached for the sugar bowl. Diana was still clutching the note Ginny had left on her pillow, folded in four but already beginning to look a little ragged around the edges. She forced herself to lay it on the table and did her best to flatten the curled corners. They would need to show it to the police if it came to that.

Laura checked her watch once more. ‘She should be here any minute. I told her to come straight home.’

The women nodded in reply. As if on cue, a voice was heard coming from the front of the house. 'Mom!’ 

‘In the kitchen!’

At the sight of her best friend’s moms sitting at their kitchen table, Hannah slowed and looked up at her mother. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Honey, sit down. Ginny’s moms have a few questions for you.’

The teenager took a seat, her face growing serious as she got a good look at Diana and Christie’s faces, pale and deathly sombre.

‘Do you know where Ginny is?’ Diana began, sounding every little bit like the FBI agent she was.

’N-n-no. She wasn’t at school today.’

‘And she didn’t tell you where she was going.’

Hannah shook her head decisively. ‘No. Why?’

‘We can’t find her’ Christie said, her voice shaky. ‘We’re trying to figure out where she might have gone.’

Hannah looked sideways at her mom, unsure what she should share.

‘Honey this is no time to hold back. If you know something, anything about where Ginny might be, you have to speak up.’

‘But —’

‘Not buts. If you did stuff you’re not proud of… we’ll deal with it. Right now, we need to help Diana and Christie find Ginny.’

Diana lay her hand on the note, tapping it with a trembling finger. ‘She left a note, said she was… going away.’

‘Going away?’ Hannah repeated. ‘Holy shit!’

Her mom shot her a reproachful look.

‘Hannah, the night I was here…’ Christie began, ‘…a few weeks ago. The night you and Ginny snuck out and went to that party. Did she meet a guy there?’

Hannah looked away, avoiding Diana’s piercing glare. She nodded. ‘She said she was in love with him’ she admitted sheepishly.

‘Who? In love with who?’

‘This guy… we went to a party at his house. His name is Logan.’

Diana and Christie exchanged glances, recognizing the name Olivia had uttered earlier. 

‘Does this guy have a last name?’

Hannah shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I never saw him until that night.’ She looked up at her mom. ‘And I never went back. I swear.’

‘Where does he live?’ Diana asked, already on her feet.

‘I… I don’t know’ Hannah replied.

‘What do you mean you don’t know’ Diana said, her voice sharp.

‘Tell the truth’ her mom urged.

‘It is the truth Mom. Like I told you that night, this guy from school gave us a lift over. I didn’t really pay that much attention.’

‘What guy?’

‘He’s a senior. His first name is Justin, that’s all I know. He just gives girls lifts to Logan’s parties.’

Diana made a mental note of the name, another lead to explore.

‘Would you recognize the house if you saw it?’ Christie asked, looking for something to hang on to.

‘Maybe… I sort of remember the neighbourhood.’

Diana was already half way out the door. ‘Well, let’s go.’

Hannah looked up at her mom with alarm. ‘I really… I really don’t remember much. It was near Kensington and Peel but… I don’t even remember the name of the street.’

Christie looked over at her wife. Any lead was better than nothing at this point.

‘Would you mind taking a drive with us’ Christie asked. ‘See if anything looks familiar?’

Laura Wilson was already grabbing for her purse. ‘Come on, we’ll all go.’

WCWCWC

Ginny had fallen asleep on the floor at the foot of the bed when the door to her room opened once more. She cocked one eye open, trying to keep the room from tilting. Somebody was standing there with long slim legs and those comfy Uug slipper booties. She blinked.

‘What are you doing on the floor?’ the girl said, rushing to her aid.

Once again, the room spun as she tried to sit upright. ‘Who the hell are you?’ Ginny managed to grunt.

‘I’m your fairy godmother’ the girl replied, voice brimming with sarcasm.

‘Great’ Ginny muttered sardonically. ‘Another figment of my imagination.’

‘You wish’ the other girl said, pulling Ginny to her feet.

She settled her on the edge of the bed and joined her, letting her feet dangle off the edge like a five-year-old.

‘I’m your mentor’ the young woman said mordantly.

‘Mentor?’

‘Yeah, when a new recruit comes in, J.J. pairs her up with one of the pros so we can show you the ropes, tell you what’s what.’

Ginny stared back at the pretty brunette. She looked all of sixteen if a day. This is what passed as a pro in this place?

‘Wait a minute’ Ginny moaned. ‘I know you… you’re…'

‘Name’s Simone’ she replied before letting her voice drop to a whisper. ‘Used to be Lindsay.’

‘I remember you. You used to hang out at my high school.’

‘Right…’ Simone said with a wag of her eyebrows. ‘Back in the good old days.’

‘What are you doing here?’

‘The same thing you’re going to be doing… turning tricks and trying to stay alive.’

‘I don’t understand…’

‘Shut up and listen’ Simone instructed her as she stood to close the bedroom door.  
‘I don’t know how you got here but I suspect it’s the same way I did.’

‘My boyfriend brought me’ Ginny said as she rubbed her eyes.

‘Logan? Hate to break it to you sweetie but the guy’s not your boyfriend.’

Ginny felt a sob rising in her chest.

Simone placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘Look, it’s not you. Logan’s very good at his job. So are the other guys who bring girls in.’

‘Other guys?’

Simone sighed. ‘There are girls here from all over the place. Cyn is from Baltimore, Desirée is from Cleveland, Joy is from….’

‘Okay, okay I get it. So this is some sort of…’

‘Whorehouse, brothel, house of ill repute… whatever you want to call it’ Simone said much too matter of factly. ‘We’re all in Freddy’s training program.’ 

Simone noticed the food still on the tray and grabbed for a piece of bread. She buttered it with the plastic knife and took a bite, chasing it with a sip of juice. Ginny was still staring at her with inquisitive eyes.

‘Once you’re eighteen, you graduate to working the streets but until then you have your gentlemen callers visiting here.’

‘How… how many girls live here?’

‘It varies. Between eight and twelve. We’re all pretty tight. If you behave, you get special privileges. We’re sort of confined here. We eat together, we can socialize - up to a point and once a week, J.J. takes us out for a special activity, a movie, bowling, out for pizza or something.’

‘I don’t get it. Why don’t you just leave? I’m sure your parents would come and get you.’

Whereas Simone had been flip and casual up to this point, her face suddenly grew dark. ‘Are you kidding? Freddy is… he’s a fucking maniac. If you step out of line, J.J. calls him and he send over one of his goons or worse yet he comes over himself. If you don’t do what he tells you, he’ll not only hurt you but he’ll hurt the people you love.'

Simone tugged on her shirt sleeve, revealing an ugly scar which had long ago healed.

‘He did that?’ 

‘With a cigarette.’

‘I don’t believe you.’

‘Believe it. This is nothing. New girls always think they can outsmart him but he has an army of guys working the streets for him. Belle’s brother had a horrible car crash after she tried to run away. For all the good it did her. In the end, J.J. found her at the bus station and dragged her right back here.’

‘But what about the police? Don’t they know they’re keeping girls here against their will?’

Simone let out a strangled laugh. ‘That’s just it. Everybody’s too scared to say anything. Anyway, Freddy has the police in his pocket.’

‘What do you mean?’

Simone stood and walked over to the window, staring down at the street. ‘Boy, you’re really naive aren’t you? Freddy pays the cops to look the other way.’

Ginny felt tears start rolling down her face. ‘I want to go home.’

‘You’ll get used to it. We all do. Just… just trust me. It’s not worth fighting, just do what you’re told.’

Ginny watched as Simone pulled a pill bottle from her pocket and took one out, throwing it back. ‘The drugs help but you have to stick to what they give you. After a while, you really don’t… care all that much. Just don’t try to score anything else or you’ll get into trouble. Sometimes johns offer you stuff but don’t do it. J.J. always finds out in the end.’

‘No! I want to go home.’

‘Listen to me’ Simone said, leaning closer. She took Ginny’s shoulders and shook her. ‘Don’t be stupid. If you’re too much trouble, Freddy will send one of his guys to really hurt you.’

‘What about J.J.? She’s a woman, she must understand’ Ginny reasoned. ‘Maybe if I talk to her.’

Simone held up her hand. ‘Believe me, J.J. might look like sugar and spice but she’s anything but. Don’t cross her or you’ll regret it.’

‘So… we have to sleep with men?’ Ginny said as she tasted bile in her mouth.

Simone rolled her eyes. ‘No, we meet with them in the dining room and have high tea and scones’ she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘What do you think we do with them?’

Ginny stared back, speechless.

‘Look, it’s mostly BJ’s, hand jobs, sometimes the full monty, it depends on the guy. But J.J. will start you out slow. She’ll send you in with me the first couple of times so you can get the hang of it.’

‘Two of us with one guy?’

‘Yeah, you’d be surprised how many men fantasize about having two women slobbering all over them.’

She stood, preparing to leave. ‘Look, here’s my advice. Do what you’re told, eat when the food comes, take your pills to keep you mellow and don’t talk back. Oh and find yourself a couple of really nice fantasies to keep your mind busy while you’re servicing the creeps that show up here.’

Ginny shook, still disbelieving. Surely, there was a way out of this.

‘Now eat!’ Simone said, pointing to the cold dinner. ‘And take your pill, it’ll help you sleep.’

And just like that, she was gone and within a few seconds, the sound of the lock was heard once more.

WCWCWC

After almost twenty-five years at the Bureau, Diana Berrigan had made countless contacts with the various police forces in the tri-state area. Most city cops were a royal pain in the ass, reluctant to cooperate with the Feds who were seen as carrying a big stick and throwing their weight around on shared investigations. She worked hard on maintaining good relations, having learned early on by observing one Peter Burke, that, as the saying went, you could attract more flies with honey than vinegar. Certain uniforms were actually decent human beings, nice guys and gals who were just doing their job and, over time, Diana had even made a few friends.

After an hour and a half of driving around, it had become abundantly clear that Hannah had no idea where the mystery party house was located. They took her and her mom home and proceeded on to phase two. It was time to reach out to the police. Diana’s mind went directly to one of her favourite human beings: Adrian Johnstone, star detective at the 70th precinct in Brooklyn. They’d worked collaboratively on a couple of cases and she’d enjoyed getting to know him and his off kilter sense of humour. 

It became immediately obvious from the sound of his voice that she’d caught the guy off duty.

‘Adrian, it’s Diana Berrigan. I need your help’ she blurted out in a strangled voice she barely recognized.

‘I’m at my mother-in-law’s’ the man replied. ‘We’re celebrating her 70th birthday.’

‘I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have called your personal cell unless I was really in trouble.’

The man sensed the urgency in her voice. He let out a loud, laboured sigh. ‘Look, give me five I’ll call you right back.’

Diana disconnected and looked at her wife who appeared just as upset as she was.

‘He’ll call me right back’ she explained to the unasked question.

True to his word, her phone rang with a promise to meet at his precinct on Lawrence Avenue in twenty minutes. 

‘I’m putting my marriage on the line here’ he grumbled before hanging up. ‘Angela’s about to throttle me. You owe me big time Berrigan.’

‘Thanks Adrian’ Diana murmured as she hung up.

‘What is it the police can do exactly if she’s run away?’ Christie asked as she pointed the car in the right direction.

‘They’re not going to want to put out an amber alert if she left a note’ Diana said. ‘But he’ll tell us what can be done.' 

The man was waiting for them by the front door of the precinct, his tall sinewy profile visible against the glow of the streetlamp. 

‘Thanks’ Diana muttered as she rushed past him and into the building. She caught a whiff of beer on his breath as she flew by.

Once settled in a small meeting room, he placed three bottles of water on the table. Diana felt her stomach grumble.

‘You were at a party?’ she asked as they took a seat.

‘You’re lucky I was only on my second beer’ he said, his dark brooding eyes glaring at her. ‘And you’re lucky my mother-in-law isn’t one of my favourite people.’

‘We appreciate you coming while you’re off duty. Adrian, something’s happened to one of our daughters.’

‘Olivia?’

‘No, Ginny’ Diana said, pulling the piece of paper from her pocket.

‘We’ve been having a rough time with her lately’ she began. ‘She’s been sneaking out, going to parties, meeting boys.’

‘We think she’s into drugs but we’re not sure’ Christie added, taking Diana’s hand in hers and squeezing.

‘How long?’

The women looked at each other, silently consulting one another. ‘A couple of months?’ Christie ventured.

‘No, I mean how long has she been missing?’

‘We’re not sure. She was home when we both left for work this morning at our usual time but we found out she never showed up at school’ Diana explained.

Adrian pulled out a pad and pen, poised to take notes. ‘Start at the beginning’ he said.

‘Last week, we grounded her and she was really pissed off about that but… well, she seemed to calm down somewhat, not be so… crazy.’

The man took note of what the women were saying, his long dark fingers sliding effortlessly across his police issue notepad.

‘Today when we got home, we found this’ Diana said, slipping the sheet of paper across the table. His eyes read silently.

Dear moms,

I’ve decided to leave home because my life is boring. I need room to breathe and to experiment but you are suffocating me. I’ve been planning this for a long time so please don’t come looking for me. I’ll be in touch when the time is right.

Love, Virginia

‘Sounds final’ he observed as he re-read it a second time.

‘I know… we knew she was unhappy with the limits we’d set but we were still communicating’ Diana said as Christie scoffed.

‘Honey, she’s been pulling away from us for weeks. I wouldn’t say we were communicating. Not effectively anyway —’

‘Can you put out an APB?’ Diana asked, cutting her off.

Adrian looked at the women and sighed. ‘There are certain things we can do. Are you sure about the handwriting? Do you have any reason to suspect foul play?’

Diana shrugged. ‘It’s definitely her handwriting…’

‘Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt her, abduct her?’

Christie let out a muffled sob at his words. ‘Abduct her!’ she repeated in horror.

‘I don’t know what to think’ Diana admitted as if the thought had crossed her mind. ‘But… no, not really. She was definitely wanting more freedom and she was always fighting us on… every single thing.’

‘And she’s how old?’ Adrian asked.

‘Fourteen, fifteen next month’ Diana replied.

He sighed. ‘What do we know about her friends? Is there a boy involved?’

Diana nodded. ‘A few weeks ago, she went to a party at this guy’s house and she’s been talking to her sister and her best friend about him ever since.'

‘So what do we know about this guy?’

‘We have an approximate idea where he lives. His name is Logan, no last name yet.’

‘She’s got to be with him right? That’s gotta be it’ Christie said, looking pleadingly at her wife.

‘I don’t know honey’ Diana replied plainly.

The questions continued, small pieces of a giant puzzle, not enough to make sense of anything. After a while, Adrian suggested the women get some rest and resume their discussion in the morning. Despite their protestations, he sent them on their way, promising to come to them first thing in the morning so they could come up with an action plan.

The thought of going to sleep while their daughter was God knows where was unbearable and Diana and Christie returned home to find Olivia waiting up for them despite the late hour.

‘Any word?’ Christie asked her daughter.

Olivia shook her head. ‘It’s like her phone’s been disconnected.’

Nobody in the Berrigan-Cooper home slept that night. All three women spent the night in Ginny’s room, turning everything over, looking for clues as to where she might have disappeared.

They put on a pot of coffee and sat at the kitchen table, brainstorming about every little detail they’d noticed over the past few weeks, from significant clues to seemingly innocuous details.

What they knew so far was that Ginny had met a guy and had fallen hard for him. She’d been frustrated about being grounded and her moods had been changing almost daily - not so unusual for a teenager but were her mood changes masking something more sinister?

Diana frantically took note of any and all leads they might follow up in the morning and questions they had for Adrian when he returned in a few hours.

Had she been away from school on other occasions they weren’t aware of?  
What about the school nurse? Had she visited her to discuss any issues with her health?  
Would any of her friends be able to add to the little they knew about Logan, the mystery man?  
Were there any sign of drug use?  
What about buses, trains and planes out of the city? Could the police check those?  
Had she tucked away some money in aid of her planned escape?  
Had her pre-loaded credit card been used?  
Had she gotten herself knocked up?

The questions flowed, one after the other and yet there were no answers. Not yet.

TBC


	31. Chapter 31

When Neal stepped out of the shower, Sara had already vanished from sight. He’d left her fussing with her lipstick at her makeup table before heading into the bathroom to get ready for his day at work. Wearing her fashionable work armour and trademark stiletto heels, it was a sure bet she’d be carrying on as if nothing had happened. 

With Emily visiting, he’d hoped his wife might have taken a couple of days off, but Emily had made plans to hang out with Hope at the gallery and the sisters were set to meet up somewhere for drinks after work. He supposed it was a credit to the frequent visits Emily Ellis-Foster made to the Caffrey home that Sara didn’t feel the need to put her life on hold every time her sister came to town. Still… leave it to Sara Ellis to soldier on no matter what was happening around her. 

He leaned over the bannister and called her name although he was reasonably sure she had already left the house.

‘She left ten minutes ago!’ came the response from his sister-in-law down in the kitchen.

Neal returned his attention to getting ready for his own work day, hump day. He glanced at himself in the dresser mirror, sucking in his gut before turning sideways to get a better look at his physique. With just a towel precariously draped around his hips, he searched for imperfections on his fifty-eight year old body. Not bad, he assessed as he ran his hand down his taut chest. He pinched the barely noticeable love handles which had begun to form at his waist and watched as water dripped from his soaked curls onto his bare shoulders. A quick examination of his face revealed new wrinkles around his baby blues he could have sworn hadn’t been there the day before. 

He let out a frustrated puff of air and headed over to sit on the edge of the bed to finish air drying. First order of business, as it was most days, was to glance at his phone and get his bearings for the day ahead. The lunch with Diana… he’d almost totally forgotten. He sent a quick text with the name of the restaurant he wanted to take her to and proceeded to consult his schedule for the rest of the day.

He’d just wandered over to the dresser to collect some underwear and socks when the familiar ping was heard.

‘No lunch’ came the response. ‘Ginny’s gone missing.’ 

WCWCWC

Lydia was lurking outside her office when Sara arrived at Sterling Bosch on Wednesday morning. Her friend and protégée was many things including brilliant, loyal and hard working but subtlety had never been her strong suit.

‘I brought you a skinny latte’ she declared as she followed Sara into her office without waiting for an invitation.

‘That’s nice’ Sara murmured, walking right past her and over to her computer. 

Even twenty-four hours was too long to be away from the office. She knew there would be a long litany of e-mails and urgent requests from members of her team. She’d planned to soften the blow by checking her e-mails the night before but Neal’s margaritas had interfered with her plans. 

‘Anything I should know about?’ Sara asked as she dropped her purse and briefcase.

‘Umm… not really’ Lydia replied. ‘Hank had a hissy fit because the photocopier broke down and Elise took the afternoon off like she always does whenever your back is turned for more than five minutes.’

She took a seat across from Sara’s desk. Apparently, she was in no hurry to return to her own office.

‘Don’t you have that meeting with Harold whatsisname this morning?’

‘Cassidy? Yeah, not for another hour’ Lydia replied like she had all the time in the world.

‘All right, all right! Out with it!’ Sara said, growing impatient.

‘I just… I wanted to know how things went yesterday… if you were okay.’

Sara softened her demeanour. Not only was Lydia a colleague and a valued member of her team, she was one of her closest friends, the mother of her beloved goddaughter. Of course she cared about what had happened. Sara took a sip of her coffee and settled back comfortably in her buttery soft white leather chair.

‘It was… it was surreal I guess. The asshole looked so much smaller and non threatening sitting there in a courtroom.’

Lydia slid forward, sitting on the edge of her chair. ‘Of course he was. The circumstances were totally different.’

There was silence for a moment as Sara seemed to replay the events of the day in her mind.

‘What about the outcome?’

‘The judge gave him ten years’ Sara said. ‘And he has to serve them after his current sentence.’

‘Wow! Ten years!’

‘I know, Mindy says that’s even more than she expected.’

Lydia studied her boss’ face. ‘Did you have to tell the whole story to the judge all over again?’

Sara exhaled. ‘Thankfully, no. But he did ask Neal about the night he and Peter found me and he wanted to know about our therapy and stuff like that. He even asked the kids what it had been like for them.’

‘How was that?’

‘I guess I hadn’t realized just how much the whole thing had affected them. I thought I was keeping it together but apparently… not so much.’

She got a faraway look in her eyes. ‘Liam said he’d seen me crying in the shower a couple of times. So much for thinking I’d pulled a fast one on them.’

Lydia listened, giving Sara a chance to vent. Whereas a couple of days earlier there’d been tension and worry on her boss’ face, now all she could see was tired relief that this whole mess was finally behind her for good. 

‘You all right?’

‘Yeah, after it was over, we went over to El and Peter’s place. Neal thought he could distract me with some high powered margaritas.’

‘High powered?’

‘Don’t ask’ Sara said with an amused grin. ‘Anyway, I better get to these e-mails before my computer crashes under the weight.’

Lydia got up and headed for the door, lingering there with one last look in Sara’s direction.

‘Sara?’ she said, her voice quiet. ‘I’m glad it’s all over.’

WCWCWC

Olivia had been sent to bed at around five in the morning. After all, there wasn’t much any of them could do until daylight and despite her eagerness to get the ball rolling, even Diana knew things had to be done methodically if they didn’t want to burn any bridges. Despite her best efforts to stay awake, Christie had nodded off on the family room couch while her wife read and re-read the lengthy list of questions that desperately needed answers. 

How had they managed to fail their baby girl this way? Had they not seen the signs of just how restless and unhappy she was? Like so many parents, she and Christie had written off their daughter’s behaviour as typical teenage stuff, hormones on steroids. But apparently, it had been much more than that. 

She debated whether there was a role for the Bureau in all this. In the case of an abduction of an employee’s family member, it was protocol for the FBI to take the lead but there was no reason to think that Ginny’s sudden disappearance had anything to do with her mom’s work at White Collar or that foul play was involved. Sadly, at least at first glance, this appeared to be a typical teenage runaway who had fallen for a guy and thought she could live life without the love and support of her family.

‘What’s going on?’ came Christie’s sleepy voice.

Diana put down her phone. ‘Neal and Peter are on their way over. Neal says Caitlin might have some information on this Logan guy.’

Christie stood to join her wife, placing her hands on her shoulders and encountering muscles as hard as boulders. She gave a few tentative rubs before Diana shooed her away.

‘Did you manage to get any sleep?’

Diana shook her head and looked down at the lengthy list. ‘No.’

‘Honey, it’s not going to help Ginny if you’re running on fumes.’

Diana glared at her.

Christie had seen that look of determination in her wife’s eyes on more occasions than she cared to remember. It was her get the bad guy at all costs look. ’Do you think we should involve the Bureau?’

A shrug from Diana this time. ‘It’s not exactly standard policy unless it’s an abduction.’

‘But what about when Hope went missing… what was that, about fifteen years ago?’ Christie reminded her.

‘That was different. Neal was still a part-time consultant and she was taken against her will… and she was a six-year-old child not some rebellious teen. Plus we suspected Keller had taken her and the Bureau always gets involved if there’s a suspected link to a case. This…’ she added, staring down at the note, ‘this… has runaway written all over it. The police won’t be able to do much.’

‘What time is Adrian coming over?’ Christie asked as she emptied the last dregs of coffee and started on a new pot.

‘He said he’d be here by nine.’

Christie took a seat next to her wife and reached for her hand, forcing Diana to look into her eyes. ‘Honey, we’ll find her. She’ll realize life’s not easy out there in the big bad world and she’ll come home to us.’

The tender moment passed and Diana looked away, trying not to get caught up in her emotions.

‘I’m going to make muffins for everyone’ Christie said as she walked over to the cupboard and began to place ingredients on the counter. 

‘Muffins? Seriously?’

‘I just… I can’t sit around doing nothing.’

Diana nodded. Christie had always been like that - busy hands and all. ‘I wonder how Caitlin fits into all this. With any luck, she can tell us where to find this Logan guy.’

‘That would be a great start’ Diana agreed. When she next spoke, her voice had grown louder and definitely angrier. ‘You know, I wouldn’t mind a little one on one with this Logan guy. If anybody knows where she is, I’m betting he does.’

Christie knew Diana Berrigan all too well. ‘Babe, you can’t get go getting on your high horse. If you lose it with this guy, we could lose our one fragile connection to Ginny.’

Diana scoffed, dismissing her wife’s advice. ‘I’m going to take a quick shower before everybody gets here.'

WCWCWC

‘What do you mean ‘restrain’ myself?’ Caitlin asked as she and Neal drove through traffic.

‘I mean… just stick to the facts. Not too many wild theories which might get us off track.’

‘I told you what I think Mr. C. Ginny didn’t run away.’

‘That’s what I mean. Tell them everything you know and we’ll follow the breadcrumbs starting with this Logan guy. Just… just don’t walk in there and blurt out that you think she was abducted into some sex slave ring.’

‘But…’

‘Honey, please… Look, I hope to God you’re wrong. But if you’re right, we’ll work through the clues and we’ll find her. Okay? Just tell Diana and Christie what you know for sure, what Ginny told you and what you saw when you were over at Logan’s house.’

‘Okay’ Caitlin mumbled as she stared out the window.

Neal glanced over at her. She looked dejected. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insinuate that your instincts are wrong. As a matter of fact, there’s a lot pointing in that direction. We just… we need to take this one step at a time and try not to freak out Diana and Christie.’

‘Especially Diana’ he mumbled as she turned to look at him.

‘She can get pretty intense, believe me. I’ve been on the receiving end of her… outbursts. Plenty of times. And it’s not a pretty thing.’

Caitlin nodded. ‘I promise, I’ll stick to the facts.’

Neal patted her knee and forced a smile. ‘Honey, you’ve done everything right. Telling us what you saw, trying to get Ginny to confide in you. I’m… I’m proud of you.’

WCWCWC

A fresh pot of coffee and a basket of warm blueberry muffins was set out on the Berrigan-Cooper kitchen table and by 8:45, a group of concerned friends and family had assembled including Neal and Peter, Caitlin, Olivia, Adrian Johnstone and the frantic moms. Diana was already treating this like some white collar operation, directing the discussion and barking orders.

‘Diana…’ Neal ventured, feeling the tension oozing from his ex-co-worker’s pores. ‘I think it’s a mistake for you to confront this Logan guy. Why don’t you check out the leads at school and let Peter and I pay him a visit?’

She glared at him and he pulled back, instantly regretting his suggestion but Christie spoke up in his defence.

‘Honey, Neal has a point. We need this guy to cooperate. If we go in with all guns blazing we could hit a wall. It’s not like you can walk right in and search his place.’

Diana glanced over at Adrian, eyes pleading. ‘Christie’s right’ the man sad. ‘We have no reason to suspect foul play and no grounds to get a warrant to search his place.’

‘But Caitlin says he’s been supplying Ginny with drugs’ Diana blurted out.

Adrian piped up. ‘Not necessarily against her will’ he added. 

‘What do you think Caitlin?’ Christie asked.

‘She was crazy about him and he milked it for all it was worth. But then again, everybody at his parties drinks and takes drugs. And I think the guy is very clever and if he feels the heat, he’ll shut right down and we’ll never find out what he knows.’

Diana checked her list and looked over at Adrian. ‘What about travel? Can you check buses, trains and planes over the last twenty-four hours?’

‘Will do. As soon as I get back to the precinct. And I’ve already entered her name and physical description in the National Crime Information Computer. That’s nation wide so all police forces will have the information.’

‘Do you really think she’s left the city?’ came Christie’s shaky voice.

‘It’s hard to say. If this Logan Parrish is missing, the chances are good they left town together.’

Adrian jotted something in his trusty notebook. ‘And you say there’s been no action on her pre-loaded credit card?’

‘Nothing’ Diana said. ‘I just checked it again. The $250 dollars we pre-loaded hasn’t been touched in weeks.’

‘Does she have any other source of cash?’ Adrian asked.

Christie and Diana turned to look at Olivia. ‘She didn’t ask me for anything’ the teen said.

‘What about her phone?’ Peter asked, morphing into FBI mode.

‘It was dumped yesterday at around 11:00 a.m.’

‘She had a second phone’ Caitlin blurted out.

‘What do you mean?’

‘When I came over last week, I saw that she had two phones. When I asked her about it, she said Logan had given her one so the two of them could communicate.’

‘And all her ID is gone?’ Adrian asked.

‘It’s not as if she had a lot of ID. School ID… birth certificate. That was about it’ Christie said. ‘They were in her wallet.'

‘Her passport!’ Diana said, getting to her feet.

She returned a moment later, clasping four passports. ‘They’re all here’ she said, throwing them down on the table. ‘Hopefully, that means she’s still in the country.’

Christie let out a gasp as if just now realizing that their daughter could be just about anywhere.

‘Look, let’s stick to the plan’ Adrian advised, his voice sombre. ‘Diana and Christie, go to the school, find out about her attendance the last couple of weeks, find out about this Justin kid, the one who drove girls to these parties. See if there’s anything with the health office…’

He looked from Christie to Diana, hesitant to pose his next question. ‘Could she be pregnant?’

Caitlin spoke up. ‘She told me Logan had her on birth control’ she said as the moms looked at her wide-eyed.

‘I can’t believe this guy’ Diana said under her breath.

‘How did this happen?’ came Christie’s voice as she broke down and began to cry.

Diana’s arm was instantly around her, pulling her into a warm hug. ‘Babe, we’ll find her. I promise, we’ll find her.'

WCWCWC

Surprisingly, Ginny had managed to fall asleep on the substandard mattress she’d been given. She woke to the sun shining through the barred window and dried tears on her cheeks. Her hopes that this was all a horrible dream were shattered when the door to her room opened and the same young woman who’d brought her dinner the night before, stepped in, carrying a tray.

‘J.J. says if you behave you can have dinner with the other girls tonight’ she said roughly as she placed the tray on the bed. ‘Now eat up, she’ll be in to talk to you in a few minutes.’

Ginny opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

‘Big day today girl’ Sandy said. ‘Now get up.’

WCWCWC

Caitlin sat in the car, peering out the window as she watched her foster dad and Peter Burke approach the small house across from the park. She’d been there several times, always at night but in broad daylight, the modest split level abode appeared like any other home in the otherwise non descript middle class neighbourhood. She’d wanted to tag along but Neal had convinced her to stay put and let them see what they could find out. Caitlin had listened with wide eyes as the two men concocted some scenario as to why they were paying Logan Parrish a visit. They communicated effortlessly, playing off each other’s ideas; they’d obviously done this kind of thing many times before.

Her eyes returned to the red door, holding her breath. For a brief moment, she almost wished the young man wasn’t home. That would mean he really did care for Ginny and had actually run away with her. But even before the door opened and she saw his blond tuff of hair, she knew… she knew that he had taken her away somewhere and dumped her there.

And she was determined to prove it.

TBC


	32. Chapter 32

‘Sorry to barge in on you’ Neal said with a disarming smile. ‘We’re following a lead on a case we’re working over at White Plains High.'

Peter had unabashedly flashed his FBI badge —which had been gathering dust in his dresser drawer for the past couple of years — and Neal had done the same with the forged ID he still kept on hand for such occasions. Logan had been so stunned to find the two men on his doorstep, he hadn’t bothered to scrutinize their ID and had invited them in. Good thing too, since both badges carried the same name. But then again, Neal had learned a long time ago that if you went in with unwavering confidence, nobody bothered to look too closely at that kind of thing. 

‘We’re investigating a possible drug ring over at the school’ Peter said, bad cop to Neal’s more affable good cop.

‘Some of the kids we interviewed reported attending parties here’ he continued, peeking over Logan’s shoulder to get the lay of the land.

Predictably, the house looked like it was inhabited by a couple of twenty-something bums - dishes in the sink, clothes strewn around, empty beer bottles and pizza boxes visible from the foyer where they stood.

‘Do you mind if we come in?’ Peter said, forcing his way in so he could get a better look at their surroundings. 

‘You live here alone?’ Neal asked.

‘With a roomie’ Logan replied, scratching his head. It was obvious he’d just gotten up and they had taken him by surprise. That advantage was about to dissipate. 

‘But what does that have to do with anything?’ he added as his mind cleared.

‘We’re just following up on connections with these kids. We understand you throw some mean parties here.’

Logan studied Peter’s face, unsure what to make of the unexpected intrusion. ‘We have get-togethers, sometimes kids from the high school tag along.’

Peter spotted a bong sitting on a side table. He walked over and picked it up. ‘Do a lot of this stuff?’ he asked.

‘Seriously?’ Logan replied, getting his swagger back. ‘You’re here to hassle me for a token amount of pot?’

Neal stepped in, time to cool things down a little. ‘Guy’s gotta relax, right?’ he said with a wink and a nod.

Peter feigned a look of disapproval. ‘We’re looking for information on a couple of the kids we interviewed’ he said, reaching into his suit jacket pocket. He flashed a yearbook photograph of Justin, the young man Hannah had identified as the kid who’d driven her and Ginny to some of the parties. 

‘Know him?’

Logan gave a cursory look. ‘Never seen him before’ he lied without so much as blinking.

‘What about her?’ Peter said, pulling out a picture of Ginny. ‘Word around the school is she’s your girlfriend.’

Neal studied the man’s face, his eyes briefly widening before he caught himself. ‘I’ve seen her around’ Logan said without missing a beat. ‘Jenny or Jen or something.’

‘Ginny’ Neal corrected. ‘Ginny Berrigan. Word is you two are pretty tight.’

Logan looked away and scoffed. ‘Really?’ he said with a chuckle. ‘The kid’s like fifteen.’

‘Fourteen, actually’ Peter said. ‘And she seems to have gotten herself mixed up with this drug ring.’

Logan tried to make sense of the conversation. Ginny had never said anything about being questioned by the police. What the hell was this interrogation really about?

‘She’s been over here a few times but I don’t know anything about her’ he said with a casual shrug.

‘Really? Because when we spoke to her last week, she said you two were an item. Exclusive she said.’

This time Logan let out a full throated laugh. ‘Do I look like a guy who’d be dating a kid who’s practically half my age?’

Peter didn’t miss a beat. ‘I don’t know. Do you?’

Logan’s patience was wearing thin. ‘Look, I don’t know anything about a drug ring at a local high school and I sure as hell don’t know anything about her.’ 

‘When was the last time you saw this young woman?’ Neal asked.

‘I don’t know… she comes when she comes. I don’t exactly take attendance at my parties.’

‘In the last week? Last two weeks?’ Peter continued, prodding.

‘Seriously man? We have an open door policy. I don’t have a clue when she was last here.’

‘And do you supply alcohol and… other social lubricants to all your young guests?’ Peter asked, easing into the role of the curmudgeonly FBI agent, one he was born to play.

‘Other social lubricants?’ Logan repeated with a chuckle. ‘You tight asses have the most colourful language.’

‘Can you answer the question?’

‘Look, people come and go, what they do or don’t do isn’t up to me. We’ll have beer in the fridge but mostly people bring their own… social lubricants’ he replied with a sneer.

Neal noticed the young man was looking more and more ill at ease, his foot repeatedly tapping the floor as he nervously ran his hand through his hair.

‘Why do you suppose this kid is claiming you’re her boyfriend if there’s nothing to it?’ Peter asked, one last salvo before they were inevitably asked to leave.

‘These kids who come to our parties… they’re hangers on. You smile at them and all of a sudden they think they’re something special. Look, I don’t know this kid and I sure as hell don’t know anything about drugs at any high school.’

‘You’ve been most helpful’ Neal said with a friendly smile. He patted his belly. ‘Do you think I could impose on you and use your facilities. Those three cups of coffee just landed.’

Logan sighed and nodded, pointing down a narrow hall. He couldn’t wait to get rid of these clowns. He immediately started corralling Peter towards the front door, eager to see the back of him.

‘What do you do for a living Mr. Parrish?’ Peter asked as he was led out.

‘This and that. I have a part-time job at a printing shop.’

‘Oh yeah? Where’s that?’

‘Look, I really don’t know anything about anything. If you want to start poking around here, you’re welcome to… just bring a warrant next time.’

Peter nodded, getting the message. ‘I’ll wait for my partner outside’ he said, making his way to stand on the small porch outside the house.

It took but a moment for Neal to join him and the two headed for the car where Caitlin was waiting, ready to jump out of her skin.

WCWCWC

With school finally out and preparations afoot for graduation, Liam had turned his mind to finding a summer job. The previous year, he’d worked at a nursery, putting out plants and helping customers with their purchases. It sure beat being stuck indoors like many of his friends who’d gotten office jobs. 

But before he buckled down to make some serious cash, it was time for a little rest and relaxation. Graduation - well at least Cody’s graduation - was a few days away and now that the White Plains senior basketball team had walked away with the city championship for the third year in a row, it was time to relax and have a little fun. 

He stood in the kitchen, frying up some bacon and eggs while Will sat at the table, sipping on coffee and bouncing a basketball noisily against the hard wood floor.

‘So what did she say? Exactly.’

‘You know Josie, the silent treatment is more her thing. She was pissed off that I didn’t follow her over to the mall like a lapdog so she could keep shopping for some shit for graduation.’

‘Girls!’ Liam exclaimed as he flipped the eggs.

‘Yeah, sometimes I think you’ve got the right idea, dating guys instead’ Will moaned.  
‘She’s becoming more and more demanding. Anytime I want to hang out with you or the guys, she acts like I’m totally abandoning her.’

Liam looked over at his best friend. ‘Why do you put up with it?’

‘She’s fun to be with when she isn’t being so damn bossy.’ He hesitated before continuing. ‘I guess the truth is I… love her.’

Liam scoffed. ‘Really? Because lately when I look at the two of you, all I see is a relationship that’s more trouble than it’s worth.’

He immediately regretted his words as Will stared down at the table looking forlorn. ‘Sorry man, I don’t know why I said that.’

Will shrugged. ‘It’s okay, she’s definitely high maintenance. But I really do love her Liam. She can be funny and sexy and when she looks at me the way she does… well, I kinda feel like…’

‘Like your insides are turned inside out and you’d do just about anything for her?’

The other young man nodded.

‘Believe me, I’ve been there’ Liam commiserated.

‘But lately it feels like I’m losing myself in all of this. Somedays I don’t even know who I am anymore. Between my dad pushing me to go to law school and Josie wanting my attention all the time… I’m suffocating dude.’

Liam plated up the food and placed a serving in front of his best friend. ‘Here, eat up. Problems are always easier to face on a full stomach. At least that’s what my dad always says.’

Will tucked in, his appetite returning. ‘So how was that last interview? With that guy from Duke?’

Liam sighed. He was beginning to close in on a decision but was still struggling with making it final.

‘It was good. Great program there too. But the more I think of it, the more I like Syracuse. It’s close but not too close, they have a great basketball program and their economics department is exactly what I’m looking for.’

‘Sounds like you’ve made up your mind. Why so glum?’

Liam dipped his toast in his egg yolk and took a giant bite, talking with his mouth full. ‘Not glum. It’s just a big decision and I’m not sure what’ll happen with me and Cody if I move away. Do long distance relationships really work? I mean he’ll still be here which means I could see him on school breaks or whenever I come home but… that’s a lot of time spent apart.’

Will nodded. ‘And I’m not sure what Josie sees happening between us. With her going to NYU, at least she’ll still be around. We both will for at least another year.’

‘Doesn’t mean you have to keep seeing each other’ Liam reminded him.

They looked at each other, mouths full, two young men facing an uncertain future with equal parts excitement and apprehension. Liam gave his best buddy a playful shove and Will reciprocated as they both broke out in a hearty laugh. For the moment at least, they weren’t two guys on the cusp of momentous changes in their lives, rather they were two best friends focussed on stuffing their faces silly and getting their sorry asses out into the warm summer sunshine to shoot a few hoops.

WCWCWC

With school out, there was no one but teachers and staff left to close things up before the summer months. When Diana and Christie arrived at White Plains High, they were greeted by the school principal who welcomed them into her office. The previous day had been the last day of school and it showed; there were piles of papers littering her desk and the school custodians were buzzing around, beginning the job of deep cleaning the classrooms and offices.

Diana and Christie filled Mrs. Finnamore in on the latest, how while she should have been celebrating the last day of school with her classmates, their daughter had been preparing to escape from what she’d deemed to be an oppressive home situation. 

‘Sadly, I’ve seen my share of runaways over the years’ the grey-haired woman said.

‘We’re finding out now that there’s a young man involved’ Christie explained.

‘One of our students?’ the principal asked.

‘No, an older boy… or man I suppose’ Diana said, almost choking on the word. ‘We think she might have been skipping out on school the last little while.’

The woman pursed her lips, wrinkles forming around her mouth. ‘We do require an e-mail or a phone call from a parent to excuse a student from class. Otherwise, parents are advised of the unauthorized absence with an automated call.’

‘We realize that’ Christie said, leaning in. ‘We suspect she found a way to get herself excused… Can you tell us if she was absent from school over the past few weeks?’

The woman brought up a file on her computer screen and, perching librarian style glasses on the tip of her nose, she began perusing the data she’d brought up. 

‘She was absent on the 7th, on the 12th and again on the 18th and yesterday. Every time, there was a call from… one of the parents.’

‘Not from us!’ Diana said shrilly.

The woman continued staring at her screen, no doubt frightened to look up.

‘We’re hoping to track down a senior whose first name is Justin. Ginny’s best friend Hannah Wilson told us he would drive the girls to parties. We were hoping to talk to him and see if he can help fill in some of the gaps.’

‘Justin…’ the woman repeated as she scrolled down her screen. ‘Let’s see, we have two seniors whose first name is Justin. Justin Malone… he’s an honour student’ she said, looking at Christie. ‘I doubt he would… oh, here we are’ she continued, pointing to the screen.

‘Justin Barlow’ she said, dropping her voice as if confiding a secret. ‘He’s hell on wheels. I’m sure he’s the one you’re talking about.’

‘We’d like to have a chat with him’ Diana said, producing her Bureau ID.

Mrs. Finnamore’s eyes grew in surprise as did Christie’s.

‘Honey, put that thing away’ she said dismissively as if Diana had pulled out a gun instead of a badge. 

For a moment, Diana looked as if she’d had the wind taken out of her sails.

‘Mrs. Finnamore’ Christie said, her voice pleading. ‘If you could just give us an address for Justin, we’d really appreciate it.’ 

The woman tsked, pursed her lips once more and jotted down an address on a slip of paper. ‘You didn’t get it from me’ she said.

WCWCWC

‘Here you go sweetie’ Cameron said as he placed a hot cup of tea in his fiancée’s hand. He leaned in and kissed the top of her head. ‘Do you need anything else?'

Emily gave her niece a discreet eye roll as she waited for Cam to return to whatever he’d been doing up on the second floor of the gallery.

‘Does he always treat you like that?’

Hope giggled. ‘You mean like the sun shines out of my ass?’ she said with a grin.

‘I meant like he’s your devout servant and you’re his queen but sure… your analogy works just as well’ Emily replied with a chuckle of her own.

Hope took a sip and set down her cup, returning to the list of inventory she’d been checking. ‘He’s a very thoughtful boyfriend’ she concurred.

‘Fiancé’ Emily corrected.

‘Fiancé’ Hope repeated.

‘Do I sense hesitation?’

‘Of course not’ Hope said with just a hint of stutter. ‘It’s just… every once in a while it hits me. I’m engaged to this terrific guy.’

‘And?’

‘And I wonder if he knows what he’s getting himself into.’

Emily gave her a questioning look. ‘Oh, I’m pretty sure he does.’

There was an awkward silence before Emily spoke up again. ‘What’s going on sweetie?’

‘Nothing’ Hope bluffed before her eyes met her aunt’s and she folded. ‘It’s just… I’m not exactly the girl he fell in love with five years ago.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Aunt Emily… I’m still getting back on my feet. I still need regular speech therapy and these…’ she said pointing to her face.

‘What?’ she asked with a scowl.

Hope scoffed. ‘You know, you’re just like Mom and Dad, pretending like I don’t have these… scars all over my face.’

‘Scars? You mean those little imperfections that give you character.’ 

It was Hope’s turn to roll her eyes. Emily glanced around the gallery and seeing they were alone, she grabbed her niece’s arm and dragged her a few feet away towards the classroom at the back of the shop. Once there, she tugged up her skirt, exposing her thigh complete with a disfiguring scar that ran practically the whole length of her leg.

‘Now this is a scar’ she said as Hope gaped, horrified. ‘And it’s a badge of honour.’

‘What… how did you get that?’

‘It was years ago, shortly after I ran away from home. This dick I was living with used me as a punching bag. One night, he threw a lamp at me and… well…’

‘Aunt Emily… I had no idea.’

Emily scoffed. ‘That’s not the point Hope. What I’m trying to say is that we all have scars, they're a sign that life’s been lived, that we’ve survived something painful. Do you really think those little… marks on your face define who you are?’

Hope looked away as if she were a child being chastised. ‘No’ she admitted. ‘I don’t.’

‘Cameron loves you and you love him and that’s… well, that’s more than any of us can hope for in this life. He stood by you when you were going through the most horrible period of your life and I know for a fact you would have done the same for him. Your DNA wouldn’t allow for anything else.’

‘I suppose’ Hope replied with a shrug.

‘Is that why you’ve been putting off setting a date for the wedding? Because of those nagging insecurities?’

It was obvious Sara had been confiding in her sister and for a moment Hope grew annoyed. ‘Jeez, my mom has a big mouth.’

‘She has a loving heart’ Emily corrected as she placed her hands on Hope’s shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. ‘She and your dad worry about you. They want you to let yourself be happy.’ 

Hope let the words wash over her. She sighed and fell into her aunt’s open arms, letting the warmth of her body reassure her.

‘There you are’ came Cameron’s voice, interrupting their embrace. He was carrying a package of Hope’s favourite cookies. ‘I thought you might like some of these to go with your tea.’

WCWCWC

‘Well? What did you find out?’ Caitlin asked eagerly as Neal and Peter settled in the front seat of the car.

‘For one thing, I don’t think he’s got Ginny locked up in the attic’ Neal said. ‘But he knows a lot more than he’s telling us.’

‘What did he say?’

‘That he’s seen her around at his parties but he doesn’t know anything about her’ Peter replied.

‘That’s a lie!’ Caitlin shouted as Neal gave her a look of reproach.

He started the car and headed back towards the main thoroughfare. Their little visit hadn’t been a complete bust. At least they had an in now and if they needed to, they could always make a return visit. For now, they’d gotten eyes on the guy and more importantly, they knew their suspicions about him were founded. What they’d seen and heard certainly fit the narrative Caitlin had been spouting for weeks now.

‘So how do we find Ginny?’ she asked.

Neal took a deep breath. ‘Like I told you, we follow the breadcrumbs. First we regroup and see if Diana’s cop friend has found out anything.’

He turned his attention to Peter. ‘I think we should see if there’s any trace of this guy leaving town in the past twenty-four hours. If he did deliver her somewhere, there’s got to be some evidence he traveled.’

‘Like those airline tickets I found in his dresser’ Caitlin said, leaning in between the two men.

‘Unless he drove…’ Peter reminded his partner.

Neal nodded, conceding the point. ‘We could still do the rounds - bus, trains, airlines, flash his picture, see if he was seen buying tickets or boarding with a young woman.’

‘Did you get a good shot of him?'

Neal held up his phone. ‘You know it!’ he said with glib satisfaction.

‘I can get back into his house and do some more snooping’ Caitlin offered from the back seat.

‘You will do no such thing’ Neal declared, his voice loud. ‘We’re on this now and you’ve been a big help but you need to let us deal with this.’

He caught a glimpse of Caitlin’s determined face in the rear view mirror. ‘Do you hear me?’

‘Yes’ she muttered as she sat back and returned to staring out the window.

But even as she spoke she knew what he was asking her to do was going to be downright impossible.

TBC


	33. Chapter 33

Diana had taken the lead on Ginny’s disappearance as if it was some high profile case which had landed in her in basket at work. She was used to taking charge, seeing the big picture, delegating tasks and keeping everyone on track. When the group finally reunited at day’s end, she was in rare form.

‘Adrian?’ she said, turning to look at her detective friend.

‘I’ve put Ginny’s name and photograph out on the NCIC. That puts her on the radar for every police force in the country.’

Diana shook her head. ‘We all know that’s worth diddly squat. How many of these kids are in the system?’ she asked rhetorically. ‘And we never hear from them again.’

‘Unfortunately as imperfect as it is, it’s all we have to work with Diana’ Adrian replied patiently. ‘I’ve also checked with all venues out of the city. No paper trail of Logan Parrish or Virginia Cooper-Berrigan purchasing a bus, train or airline ticket over the past twenty-four hours.’

‘Again…’ Diana said with an edge of impatience to her voice. ‘What are the chances they were travelling under their real names?’ 

‘Or that she’s even left the city at all’ Christie added with optimism.

Neal piped up. He and Peter had spent the whole day flashing Ginny and Logan’s picture all over town.

‘They can travel under assumed names but they can’t change their faces. Nobody we’ve talked to has recognized their pictures. At least not yet.’

‘A few people who were working yesterday weren’t at work today’ Peter added. ‘We’ll follow up with them tomorrow.’

‘Oh and I’ve got Mozzie pounding the pavement to see if anybody’s come looking for forged ID for either one of them over the past little while’ Neal added.

‘What happened over at the school?’ Adrian asked.

‘Not much’ Christie replied. ‘Principal confirmed she was absent four days over the past two weeks. Nothing from the school nurse, Ginny hasn’t visited the health office in over six months.’

‘What about the guy who drove them to Logan’s parties?’

‘We caught up with him’ Diana explained. ‘He says Logan pays him to spot young girls at school and deliver them to his parties.’

‘Lovely’ Neal said sarcastically.

‘Can we get him on something?’ Christie asked.

‘What exactly? Those girls were happy to take a ride with him’ Adrian explained.

Caitlin sat in silence, growing increasingly frustrated. She knew Logan was the key to all this but without a valid reason, they couldn’t get a warrant to check his place. And even if they did, what would they find? Logan struck her as someone who covered all his bases.

Diana turned to look at Neal and Peter. ‘So what’s your take on this Logan guy?’ she asked.

Neal and Peter shared a knowing glance. ‘I’m convinced he’s mixed up in this somehow’ Peter said. ‘He says he recognizes Ginny from his parties but he’s never had more than a passing conversation with her.’

Diana sprung to her feet, fists clenched at her side. ‘That’s a lie!’ she blurted out angrily. ‘Can’t we shake this guy down?’ 

‘For what?’ Peter said. ‘He throws parties and young kids flock for the booze and the drugs. You could raid one of his parties and maybe charge him with youth endangerment but beyond that… it’s not going to help us find Ginny.’

‘No but it might give us some leverage’ Diana said.

Christie’s eyes met Caitlin’s. ‘Tell us again why you think he’s involved in grooming girls.’

Caitlin looked over at Neal who gave her an almost imperceptible nod. ‘There was this girl from school who ran away last year. Lindsay Stewart. She used to hang out with Logan, just like Ginny. They were together all the time. And then she disappeared. She left a note saying she was leaving home and not to come looking for her.’

‘She left a note?’ Diana said, eyes brightening.

Caitlin nodded. ‘Her parents were devastated. They hired a private investigator and everything but they never found her. She’s been gone over a year.’

‘We need to pay her parents a visit’ Diana said.

Neal studied her, the tightness on her face, the shrillness of her voice. ‘We could do it for you’ he offered. ‘See what we could find out.'

But Diana was having none of it. She couldn’t bear sitting at home waiting for something to break. She needed to make things happen.

Adrian got to his feet. ‘Look, I’ve gotta go’ he said. ‘I need to catch up on some paperwork before I head home.’

Christie walked him out, thanking him for devoting so much time to helping find Ginny. He promised to check in the next morning. Meanwhile, Peter had cornered Diana in the kitchen.

‘Diana, I know how hard this must be but you have to promise me you won’t go busting into Logan Parrish’s place with all guns blazing.’

She avoided his gaze. ‘I can’t promise that Peter.’

He took her arm, forcing her to look at him. ‘The only thing you’re going to accomplish is to make him suspicious. Neal and I have an in with him and we can go back anytime and grill him some more but you… losing your cool, it’s not going to help Ginny.’

For the first time since the whole ordeal began, he saw his old friend growing emotional, her eyes welling up. She pulled away, cleared her throat and looked away, unwilling to show any weakness.

‘Look, Neal and I will keep working the travel angle, see if anybody remembers seeing her. Why don’t you two come over to our place for lunch tomorrow and we’ll compare notes?’

She nodded grudgingly and looked up at her old boss. ‘Thanks Peter’ she mumbled. ‘You too Caffrey. I appreciate all that you’re doing.’

‘Hey, we’re family’ Neal said with a warm tap to her elbow. ‘That’s what families do.'

WCWCWC

The out of the way restaurant where Sara had chosen to meet her sister was located six blocks from Sterling Bosch deep in the heart of Manhattan. Although called the Peacock Café, it was more of a trendy bar/eatery that a café and it was always well populated by the minions who toiled away the hours in the steel towers looming all around it. 

Emily was already sipping what appeared to be a manhattan when Sara appeared, slightly out of breath. 

‘Sorry’ she murmured as she took the seat across from her sister. ‘It’s absolute hell going back to work after a day off.’

Emily lifted her glass in a salute. ‘Hey, I’m not complaining’ she said as her eyes roamed and rested on a good looking gentleman nearby. He mimicked her, lifting his glass and winked as Sara turned to get a better look. 

‘What? I’m ten minutes late and I find you flirting with the natives!’

‘Just a little harmless fun’ Emily said, returning her full attention to her sister.

To be honest, Emily Ellis-Foster turned heads wherever she went. With her lustrous reddish mane and bright smile, she was a striking woman, not unlike her younger sister. Under the polished façade however, was a woman who’d had a rough start in life. After running away from home at the age of sixteen, she’d fallen in with the wrong crowd and once hooked on drugs, she’d turned to stripping to make a living, often stooping to turning tricks when money got too tight. It had taken a painfully difficult breakup and a move to another city before the young woman had finally gotten her head straightened out and climbed out of the hole she’d dug for herself. 

Looking at her now, one would never guess she’d lived that kind of life. She was poised and cultured, a patron of the arts in her adoptive city of Chicago and a fine artist in her own right. 

‘How was your day at the gallery?’ Sara asked.

‘Terrific! I love watching Hope and Cam in action. They run that place like a fine oiled machine.’

Sara nodded in agreement. ‘Thank God for the gallery’ she said. ‘After the accident, when it became obvious she wouldn’t be going back to Pittsburgh anytime soon, I was worried Hope would never find anything to be passionate about.’

‘Well, you can tell she loves working there. She and Cam run that place with a steel hand in a velvet glove. I saw some of her latest work, beautiful stuff.’

Sara sighed. ‘For a while, all she was painting were these dark tortured abstract forms but lately I’ve noticed colour seems to be creeping back into her work.’

‘Cameron is amazing’ Emily said. ‘He sure dotes on her.’

‘He’s always been like that but since the accident, it’s gotten even worse. I think he’s afraid of losing her again… which I totally get.’ Her gaze grew far away. ‘You know, for a long time after she finally came home, Neal and I would stand in the doorway to her bedroom and watch her sleep like she was a newborn all over again.’

‘Well, she seems a lot more relaxed than the last time I visited’ Emily said. 

Sara smiled in response. ‘It helps to hear you say that. We see her every day and we don’t always notice the progress she’s making.’

‘She is… and Liam seems really happy with Cody. The two of them are so cute together.’

‘Neal and I recently decided to loosen the reins a little and let Cody sleep over from time to time. Liam’s been smiling ever since’ Sara said with a chuckle. ‘I’m just not sure how the two of them will deal with things when Liam goes away to university next year.’

‘Has he decided where he’s going yet?’

Sara shook her head. ‘No… it’s not an easy decision at the best of times. But for a young gay man having to start all over again in a new city… you know, putting himself out there and owning who he is. It took a while for him to get comfortable in his skin and now that he’s settled… I just don’t want him to have to start all over again.’

‘Both your kids are really resilient sis’ Emily said. ‘You and Neal have done a great job getting them where they are today. I think they’re both more than capable of handling whatever life throws at them.’

She signalled for the bartender to take Sara’s order. ‘Did you know the gallery actually sold one of my pieces last month’ she said, changing the subject. ‘So whatever you’re having to drink is on me.’ 

After overindulging the night before, the thought of alcohol caused Sara to hiccup. ‘I’ll have a Perrier please’ she told the server.

Emily pouted. It was no fun to drink alone. ‘Let’s order some appetizers’ she declared, glancing at the eclectic menu. ‘How about some caesar salad crostini and this cheese and fruit plate?’

Sara glanced at her sister’s smiling face. For years, she’d given up on ever finding her and yet, here they were chatting, those long lost years all but forgotten.

‘Sounds great’ she said with a wide grin.

‘Caitlin’s looking pretty settled too. Isn’t she graduating this year?’

Sara nodded. ‘She asked for a gap year. She wants to work and make a little money while she figures out what she wants to do.’

‘Sounds mature. Will she keep living with you?’

‘As long as she wants’ Sara replied with a smile. ‘Don’t get me wrong, she’s been a handful and you never quite know what she’s up to but she has a good heart and to be honest, I’d miss her if she left.’

‘That’s a switch from when she first came to live with you.’

‘She’s come a really long way. Having Linda here has really helped. The two of them are really close. And even though she still messes up regularly, she’s one of us, you know. She’s part of the family and we always seem to find a way to work things out.’

Emily got a faraway look in her eyes. Although she’d helped raise her late husband’s daughter, she’d never had kids of her own and it had left a gaping hole in her heart.

‘You’re one lucky woman, Sara Ellis’ she said to her sister.

WCWCWC

It had been a whirlwind twenty-four hours although in some ways, it felt as if she’d been in her new digs for days already. Ginny still didn’t know what city she was in although it was just a question of time. She’d noticed a big screen TV in the common area and inevitably, at some point, local news would come on divulging the name of the city she now called home. From her warped perception of time, she figured they were three to four hours from New York, not that it mattered. J.J.’s little warning the night before and Simone’s cautionary tale had been terrifying enough to keep her from looking for ways to escape.

At least for now.

As predicted, J.J. had paired her up with her new bestie on her first ‘assignment’ - the rather obtuse word the girls used to describe their loathsome encounters with strange men. The action had taken place in Simone’s room, the guy a middle-aged loser, meek and smarmy but not threatening in any way. One hour before they welcomed their guest, Simone had insisted Ginny take what she called ‘big blue’, the magic pill that would make the whole ordeal bearable. Simone had dealt with this Gary guy once before and knew what he liked. She’d instructed Ginny to simply parade around the room provocatively while she did most of the ‘heavy lifting’. Ginny had been grateful for the reprieve although she knew it would be short lived. 

Afterwards, J.J. had checked in on them, acting all motherly which was creepier than Ginny might have imagined. She’d invited the newcomer to join the girls who weren’t otherwise engaged for dinner in the common area. That’s where Ginny got the lowdown on how the whole operation worked. The building they were in was three stories high with a common area down on the first floor. The second and third floors held the younger girls’ rooms, monitored closely by J.J. who kept them all on a short leash. On the main floor, besides a large dining room, kitchen and living area, there was a large dormitory style room with a dozen or so beds. Simone informed her that the beds were allocated on a first come first serve basis to the older hookers who worked the streets for Freddie. Anyone under eighteen lived permanently in the building under the watchful eye of J.J. and had their own room where they ‘entertained’ their gentleman callers. But as soon as you hit your eighteenth birthday, you were turned loose on the streets where you turned tricks wherever you could - cheap hotels, johns’ cars, back alleys. Once you’d filled your quota for the night, you could crash at J.J.’s where most of the young women slept away the day and got a good meal before heading back out on the streets at nightfall.

After dinner, J.J. reappeared, escorting Ginny to a small back room office where she came face to face with the infamous Freddie for the first time. He was a large black dude with expensive threads, a leather fedora and fancy boots, a caricature of what might have passed for a fancy pimp in those old 60s movies. He smiled when she walked in but instead of reassuring her, his twisted grin sent shivers down her spine.

‘Welcome Trish’ he said, his voice much softer than she might have imagined. ‘We’re glad to have you with us. I’m Freddie.’

Ginny took a seat, she could feel her palms sweaty, her back tightening.

‘J.J. tells me you did good today’ he continued as he lit up a cigarillo and inhaled deeply. 

Ginny stared at him, unblinking while he proceeded to examine her appreciably up and down. 

‘How are you settling in?’ he asked, almost as if he really cared.

Ginny stared down at the floor, unable to meet his gaze. Although mockingly friendly, his tone held a menacing tone, one that made it clear he was holding all the cards.

‘J.J. tells me she filled you in on how things work around here’ he said, his voice smooth as velvet. ‘If you play by the rules, I think you’ll find we can get along swimmingly. We’ll give you three square meals a day and all the fun pills you need.’

There was a foreboding silence and Ginny looked up at him tentatively. ‘But don’t step out of line. No drugs or booze other than what we supply. No wandering off without J.J.’s permission and no reaching out to family or friends. Ever. If you need anything, anything at all you go to J.J. She’s the boss around here.’

Ginny bit her tongue. She wanted to lash out, scream, jump out of her chair and rip that smug smile off the man’s face. But she found herself nodding meekly.

He was on his feet now, all six feet five of him, looming over her threateningly. His face came within two inches of hers as his icy eyes glared at her. 

‘Are we clear on everything?’ he asked, running a long dark finger down her cheek.

She was forced to inhale the smoke from his cigar and almost gagged. ‘Yes sir’ she managed to eke out as she flinched.

‘Now as much as I love my girls, I hope to never be called over here because of some disturbance involving you, Trish.’

She nodded, her breath halting.

He straightened up and the smarmy grin returned to his lips. ‘Excellent! Then we’ll have no trouble working together.’

J.J. nodded and Ginny took it as a sign that she was to take her leave. ‘You can join the other girls’ she said. ‘Lights out at eleven. You have a big day tomorrow.’

WCWCWC

‘You okay?’ Neal asked as he and Caitlin drove home. ‘You’ve been awfully quiet.’

She shrugged. ‘I just… I keep going over everything in my mind over and over again. I’m afraid I’ve forgotten some detail that will help us find Ginny.’

‘You’ve been a big help’ Neal replied with a glance in her direction. ‘That note is what’s got me baffled. Unless she wrote it under duress, she sounded happy to be going away. And notice how she didn’t say anything about Logan in the note - or any boy for that matter.’

‘Maybe he talked her into writing it that way to throw suspicion off himself.’

‘I suppose.’

‘I’ve been researching this stuff online’ Caitlin said. ‘There’s a whole network of sex workers out there that are recruited and groomed then sent out of state. Especially young girls like Ginny. They bring in a lot of money.’

Neal nodded. ‘If only we knew where to start looking. She could be almost anywhere.’

Silence ensued as the two of them reflected on the situation.

‘We might still get lucky and find someone who saw one of them out and about yesterday. If we could narrow down our search a little that would really help.’

Caitlin’s mind was churning. A germ of an idea had sprouted ever since she’d heard of Ginny’s disappearance and now it had become more obsession that fleeting thought. All her life she’d gotten into trouble by acting impulsively and if this plan she was hatching had any chance of succeeding she needed to take things one step at a time, carefully plotting each and every move. She would give it one more day. If her foster dad and Peter didn’t come up with something concrete, she would put her plan into action.

But she needed an accomplice and only one person came to mind. The one person she trusted more than any other.

TBC


	34. Chapter 34

‘You going into work today?’ Sara asked for the second time.

Neal looked up distractedly. ‘What?’

She climbed onto the bed behind him and gave his shoulders a firm squeeze, speaking softly in his ear. ‘Honey, I know you’re upset about Ginny but for now, I don’t see what more you can do.’

He glanced over his shoulder, seemingly annoyed - perhaps more at himself than anything else. ‘Sara, we can’t leave her out there to fend for herself.’

She shifted until she was in his sight line and scowled. ‘So what are you and Peter going to do? Scour the streets of every city in America looking for her?’

He scowled back. ‘None of this makes any sense. I’m starting to think Caitlin’s right, she didn’t leave of her own accord.’

Sara sighed. ‘Neal, kids run away from home every day. They want adventure and excitement and most of the time, they come crawling back home with their tail between their legs. Look at Emily. Nobody made her leave home at sixteen, never to be heard from again.’

He looked into her eyes. Emily’s disappearance all those years ago still stung even though theirs had had a happy ending. 

‘And you… you left St-Louis and your mom didn’t know where you’d gone for the longest time.’

‘Honey, I was eighteen. Ginny’s fourteen years-old! She has no money, no street smarts to speak of and this mysterious guy who finagled her into thinking he was crazy about her.’

Sara listened, doing her best to understand.

‘Look, I know Diana can be strict but deep down, Liv and Ginny are good kids who love their moms’ Neal continued. ‘I just can’t stand seeing her all torn up like this.’

And that, Sara realized, was the crux of the matter. Neal could never stand to see someone he cared about suffering in any way and he would give the shirt off his back to spare those he loved any pain or hardship.

‘So, what’s the plan?’

‘Mozzie’s still asking around to see if this Logan guy bought some fake ID for Ginny. And Peter and I… we’ll keep asking around at all the bus depots, train stations and airports to see if anyone remembers them. Maybe we can pay Logan Parrish another visit, lean on him a little harder.’ 

She gave him a brief hug him and he responded by pulling her in close. He spoke in her ear. ‘Can you imagine if this was Hope or Caitlin? How crazy worried we’d be?’

‘You’re right. You can’t give up’ she said, patting his arm.

‘Don’t forget I’m taking Emily to the airport this aft so I may be a little late for dinner’ she reminded him.

He nodded, his mind wandering as he collected his phone and wallet. ‘Any luck getting Caitlin to change her mind. About graduation.’

Sara glanced over her shoulder as she searched their closet for just the right pair of shoes to complement the teal coloured dress she was wearing. ‘I tried’ she said. ‘She insists she has no interest in going.'

‘I wish she had something other than this Ginny situation to focus on. Aren’t high school seniors supposed to get excited about prom?’

Sara shook her head. ‘You’re forgetting Caitlin Somersby is not your typical high school senior. She doesn’t seem the least bit interested in going.’

‘Seem?’ 

‘I really don’t think the graduation thing appeals to her at all. It’s not like she’s got a tight knit group of friends to hang with. Sometimes we forget just how much of a loner she is. Until recently, she’s had to deal with things on her own and that’s how she likes it.’

‘That’s just it. She doesn’t have to do everything on her own… not anymore.’

Sara’s eyebrows narrowed, her head tilted to one side. ‘Seriously Neal?’

He shrugged. She was right. Just as he’d been at her age, his foster daughter was a lone wolf.

Sara picked up on the look of sadness in her husband’s eyes. ‘I’ll give it one more try, okay?’ she said, hoping to placate him.

She reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek. ‘You and Peter just concentrate on finding Ginny and bringing her home.’

WCWCWC

A few feet away, behind her closed bedroom door, Caitlin’s mind was nowhere near thoughts of graduation. She’d never been a fan of traditional rituals, preferring to live her life to the beat of a different drum. Although she was relieved to be getting her high school diploma, she’d gotten through by the skin of her teeth, unlike Liam who was headed for a banner senior year as the school’s star athlete and honour roll student.

She returned to the note she’d been scribbling, scratching something out and starting again as she searched for just the right words. She felt Raffie’s droopy eyes staring at her as if he knew what she was plotting. She scoffed at him and returned to the job at hand. She’d been patient enough. Ginny had been gone for almost three days now and despite everyone’s efforts, none of the leads had panned out. It was time to put her plan into action. 

There was a soft knock on her door and she stuffed the note and pen underneath her pillow.

‘Come in’ she called out.

Sara stood there, perfectly coiffed, dressed for work. ‘Hey sweetie’ she called out.

Caitlin smiled, projecting as much innocence as she could muster. ‘Hey! You guys leaving for work?’

‘Neal took the day off. He and Peter are going to keep poking around…’

‘Oh…’ 

Sara fidgeted. She definitely had something on her mind. ‘So, what are you up to today?’ she asked her foster daughter.

‘You know, just hanging out. I’m going to visit Grandma after lunch.’

Sara nodded. ‘You know, it’s not too late if you want to go the grad tomorrow night. We could go shopping for a dress after work. If you play your cards right, I’ll even treat you to dinner.’

Caitlin sighed. If her plan came to fruition, by the time her fellow classmates hit the dance floor the following night, she’d be miles away. Still, it was awfully nice of Sara to offer.

‘Like I said, it really doesn’t mean that much to me’ she said with a bright smile, emphasizing the fact that none of this bothered her in the least. 

‘All right. Well, if you change your mind, call me at work and I’ll be glad to meet you somewhere.’

Caitlin nodded and looked away but Sara remained standing there. After a few seconds, she took a few steps into the room and stood before the teen, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. ‘You know, Neal and I are really proud of you. You worked hard to get your high school diploma and now you have a bunch of doors opening up to you. Your future is yours to decide.’

‘Thanks’ Caitlin replied, her voice strangled. She hoped what she was about to do wouldn’t disappoint them.

In the blink of an eye, Sara was gone and Caitlin returned to her dark, brooding thoughts. 

WCWCWC 

Checking in with Diana and Christie had become a daily ritual since Ginny had disappeared. Despite the fact that very little in the way of new information had come to light, Neal and Peter were in constant communication with the moms, their way of showing support for their good friends who were slowly going out of their minds.

Following another disappointing call to Mozzie, Neal put in a call to Diana as he and Peter headed out for another day of sleuthing.

‘Caffrey!’ came her voice, resonating in the car. ‘Anything new?’

Neal glanced at Peter, both of them reacting to the shrill tone of her voice.

‘Just checking in’ Neal said as he navigated the busy street. ‘I’m with Peter. We thought we might pay Logan Parrish another visit today.’

‘I want to come with you’ came the immediate response.

Peter sighed and shook his head. ‘Diana, are you sure that’s a good idea?’

‘Look, I know you guys are doing your best and we all agree we don’t want to scare him off but it’s time I look this asshole in the eye and ruffle his feathers a little.’

‘Calling him an asshole to his face may not get you what you need Diana’ Neal couldn’t help but say.

She let out a long slow exhale. ‘I can rein it in’ she said although neither of the men believed her.

‘I can’ she said in response to their silence. ‘Look, I’ll meet you over there.’

And just like that, the line went dead. 

‘Better hold on to your hat’ Peter said under his breath. 

WCWCWC

Thankfully, Ginny was numb most of the time. Three days in, she’d already started to lose her fighting spirit as she came to the realization that there was no way out. At least none that she could see. The drugs she was being fed on a daily basis made everything dull and lifeless as if the colour had gone out of her existence. The constant fog in her brain kept her from thinking strategically or developing an escape plan that made any sense. On the flip side, those same drugs were a godsend when she had to perform her house ‘duties’ which thus far had consisted mostly of hand jobs, blow jobs and white bread missionary sex - no johns requesting she swing from the chandelier or indulge in creepy role play. At least not yet.

She had a feeling J.J. was still breaking her in. So far she’d been assigned guys who were content with run of the mill sex that indulged their weird fetish of getting off as they gazed into the eyes of an underage girl. Simone had explained that most of the men who requested the younger girls liked their sex pure and chaste - some weird kink about deflowering the pretty young things. 

Following Freddie’s visit, Ginny had fallen in line, following the rest of the girls who were herded around like mindless cattle being corralled from one enclave to another. She’d even begun to respond to her new name, eyes rising when she heard the name Trish being called out. Breakfast, lunch and dinner became the highlights of her day, social time when she could sit and chat with the other girls. Most of them had been brought there by men like Logan Parrish who were well rewarded for their work. A couple of the girls were runaways who had been plucked off the street by one of Freddie’s people, teens who were glad to have a roof over their head and three square meals a day - a price Ginny considered much too high for what they were sacrificing.

At night, she lay in bed and wept, cradling the stuffed toy she kept well hidden under her pillow, a sad reminder of how wonderful life at home had been, surrounded by her sister and her loving moms. She thought of them often, wondering how Liv was doing with the beginning of school break, thinking of her moms going out of their minds with worry. If only she could sneak a quick call and let them know she was all right. Such thoughts vanished as soon as they began to form, fear for her family’s safety and the state of her muddled mind colluding to keep her from acting on her dangerous impulses. 

She woke on Friday morning with a flutter in her stomach. Fridays were a day off from the grind and the girls had been talking about their weekly outing since she’d first arrived. They’d be voting at breakfast: a movie or a shopping trip to the mall followed by dinner out somewhere. She turned in bed, feeling the strain in her back and her neck from the inferior quality mattress and the three daily sessions with her clients. No matter how many showers she took, she felt dirty and violated; her body no longer hers to do as she wished.

The bell announcing breakfast was heard clanging in the distance and she forced her tired, sore body out of bed. Tucking her stuffed friend under her pillow, she examined her choice of clothes for the day - mostly revealing tops and short micro skirts.

The door to her room opened and Simone stood there clad in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, a look Ginny had yet to see on her.

‘Here’ she said, throwing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt in her direction. ‘Today you can wear this.’

WCWCWC

Friday afternoons and airport parking garages were an unfortunate combination as Sara was finding out. 

‘You know you could have just dropped me off at the door’ Emily reminded her on their third try around the parking arcade. ‘I’m not eleven years old.'

‘And miss the chance to see you off properly? No way’ Sara replied with a clipped tone.

‘There’s one!’ Emily called out as someone backed out of a primo spot right by the exit.

Within minutes, the women had lugged Emily’s luggage inside and the elder Ellis sister had checked in for her flight back to Chicago. 

‘See, we even have time for coffee’ Sara said as she pointed to the Starbucks nearby.

Once settled with their lattes, the sisters debriefed on Emily’s visit which in both their opinions had been much too short.

‘With everything happening, Diana’s daughter disappearing, Liam getting ready for prom, you going back to work… I feel like we kind of glossed over the aftermath of what happened on Tuesday’ Emily said. 

Sara nodded slowly as the memories came flooding back. Her visit to court seemed like ages ago. ‘I kind of prefer it that way. I didn’t have time to ruminate about it too much.’

Emily reached over, taking her sister’s hand. ‘You sure you’re okay?’

‘I’m sure. Neal’s been asking me every five minutes. And having you here was a great distraction. I’m sorry we couldn’t spend more time together.’

‘Are you kidding, we had plenty of time and besides, I got to go to the gallery and spend time with Hope, got to shoot some hoops with Liam and… I got to enjoy a gourmet meal every night compliments of your husband.’

Sara chuckled. She took Neal’s culinary talents for granted but she knew her sister counted on a meal delivery service back home and enjoyed his home cooked meals whenever she came to New York. 

‘Oh, I almost forgot’ she said, pulling a plastic container from her oversized purse. ‘Neal sent these muffins for you to munch on and some of those cookies you like.’

Emily looked down at the offering, salivating. She opened the container and grabbed for one of her brother-in-law’s famous pecan chocolate chip cookies.

‘Mmmm I love these’ she said lustfully, her mouth full.

Sara watched her sister and grinned fondly. She loved seeing her like this - with nothing but a cookie to bring such joy to her face.

‘Easy there’ Sara said playfully. ‘It’s a cookie not an orgasm.’

‘There’s a difference?’ Emily said as she moaned in appreciation.

WCWCWC

‘You see what I mean?’ Will said, pointing to a photograph on his phone. ‘Now I have to find a tie that matches her dress exactly even though I’ve spent fifty bucks on a perfectly good one already.’

Liam glanced around the food court of their local mall, eyes landing on his favourite burger place.

‘Let’s get something to eat first’ he said, tugging Will’s sleeve.

‘Gawd Caffrey, you’ve always got food on the brain’ Will lamented as he gave in and followed Liam through the crowded open space.

With loaded trays, the guys found a table and settled in, Liam throwing back fries before they’d even gotten to their seats.

‘You’re lucky Cody is so easygoing about stuff like clothes’ Will said, taking a seat.

‘He’s not that easygoing. He dragged me to the store and he’s making me wear a jacket tomorrow night.’

‘Boohoo’ Will said. ‘Does he make you ask permission before you go to the bathroom? ‘Cause Josie does.’

Liam’s eyebrows narrowed as he gave that some thought. ‘I guess we usually go together’ he replied with a grin.

‘Another reason I’m considering switching to dating boys’ Will said under his breath. ‘She’s driving me craz —’

He stopped suddenly and Liam looked up from his food tray to find Will staring off in the distance with his mouth hanging open.

‘What? What is it?’

When Will didn’t reply, Liam turned to see what had so captivated his best friend’s attention. A few feet away, surrounded by throngs of shoppers, stood Josie Robertson with one of their classmates - one Brad Colton, star quarterback of the school’s senior football team.

‘What is she doing with him? She told me she was going shopping with her girlfriends.’

Liam returned his gaze to Will, not wanting to attract attention to their gawking. ‘Maybe… she just bumped into him while she was shopping.’

Will kept staring, his face growing serious. ‘Look at her… she’s all over him.’

Liam chanced another peek over his shoulder. Sure enough, the pretty blond was giggling loudly, throwing her hair back as she flirted shamelessly with the young man.

‘Just… go over and talk to her. Maybe there’s an innocent explanation. If I freaked out every time I found Cody chatting up some guy, I’d be a basket case.’

‘It’s the grad party… tomorrow. I can’t confront her just before the biggest night of the year’ Will lamented with a sigh.

‘Will, you can’t let her keep walking all over you. You deserve better than that.’

Liam could see the colour draining from Will’s face as he spoke. He turned just in time to see Will’s girlfriend and the young man walking away, his arm wrapped proprietarily around Josie’s shoulder. 

WCWCWC

Visiting her grandmother was always a crapshoot. Some days, Caitlin would find Linda Bennett sound asleep in bed and she would sit and watch her snooze for an hour or so before kissing her goodbye and heading back home. Other days, she would be sitting in her easy chair watching the news on television or reading a book. Even more rarely, she’d find her in the common area, partaking of a bingo game or chatting with some of the other residents. 

On this Friday afternoon, Linda Bennett appeared to be in fine form. Caitlin found her in the dining room, settled amongst her fellow residents as they all enjoyed the vocal stylings of a local children’s choir. From a distance, Caitlin could see her grandmother, clapping her hands to the rhythm of the song, her lips mouthing the words to ‘You are my sunshine’ and looking like she was having a grand old time.

Caitlin stood at the back of the room, taking it all in. As Linda Bennett grew older and more frail, those moments of pure joy became fewer and farther between. Not that she didn’t always have a smile on her face, she did. But Caitlin knew her smiles were often pasted on for the benefit of those she loved so they wouldn’t worry about her.

The song ended and the children took a bow, bringing the concert to an end. That was when Linda glanced up and spotted Caitlin, standing there. She gave a wave of her hand and Caitlin joined her, bringing over her walker and helping her get to her feet.

‘How long have you been standing there?’ Linda asked as she hugged her granddaughter.

‘Not long’ Caitlin said. ‘I was just enjoying the show. They’re good.’

Linda nodded as they began the short trek to her room. ‘Come on, Sara brought over some of those chocolates you like. I saved you some.’

‘Grandma’ Caitlin said with a chuckle. ‘I’m pretty sure those are for you.’

‘They’re for sharing’ she said as they finally stepped into her room.

The walker was set aside and Linda took a seat in her easy chair while Caitlin perched herself on the edge of the nearby bed. She thought she picked up on a sudden weariness in the older woman’s eyes but the smile remained firmly in place.

‘You look a little tired Grandma’ she said.

‘Nawww, I’m happy to see you.’

There was an awkward silence as Caitlin found herself avoiding Linda’s scrutiny. 

‘Something’s on your mind’ the older woman said softly. 

Caitlin looked up, doing her best to look innocent. ‘No there isn’t.’

‘It wasn’t a question. What is it sweetheart? You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.’

Caitlin swallowed hard, hesitating. She’d told herself she would keep it to the broad strokes - a question of plausible deniability and all. Although she trusted her grandmother implicitly, she didn’t want to put her in a situation where she would have to choose between keeping her secret and keeping her safe. 

‘There’s something I need you to do for me’ Caitlin said, peeking out from beneath her blond bangs.

Linda remained quiet, unwilling to commit until she knew what was being asked of her.

Caitlin reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope. From where she sat, Linda could see it was sealed and had been left blank.

‘Grandma, I need you to hold on to this for me.’

Linda studied the envelope. ‘Are you going to tell me what it is?’

‘It’s better if you don’t know.’

‘Better for who? For you? Or for me?’ Linda asked, her face tightening.

‘For both of us.’ 

Caitlin held out the envelope and Linda took it, running her frail hand along the edge. ‘And who is this envelope for?’

‘It’s for Sara and Mr. C’ Caitlin said.

‘And why can’t you give it to them yourself?’

‘Because… because I can’t.’ 

Linda turned the envelope over in her hand. ‘I don’t like the sound of this.’

‘Grandma, I need you to trust me’ Caitlin pleaded. ‘You do trust me, right?’

‘Of course I do. It’s not about that but I know you can be impulsive.’

‘What if I tell you that… I’ve thought this through very carefully and I’m not doing anything on impulse.’

That seemed to reassure Linda Bennett somewhat although she wasn’t entirely reassured.

‘So, what is it you want me to do with it?’

‘I need you to call the house tomorrow morning and ask to talk to me.’

‘Honey, you’re scaring me.’

Caitlin placed her hand on her grandmother’s. ‘It’s fine. If I’m not home, all you have to do is tell Mr. C that I left an envelope for him.’

Linda felt her pulse racing. ‘And where will you be if you’re not home?’

‘Grandma, please don’t ask me that. Just… trust me. Believe me I wouldn’t ask if I had any other choice. You’re the only one I can trust.’

She watched the older woman waver and for a brief moment she regretted putting her in this position. Technically she hadn’t lied but if things went as she’d planned, she knew her grandmother would feel remorse for her small part in the scheme. 

Linda’s eyes grew cloudy. ‘Caitlin, what have you got yourself mixed up in?’

She had one last ace up her sleeve. ‘If everything works out the way I hope it will… I’ll be doing the right thing and you’ll be proud of me.’

Linda let out a loud exhale. ‘All right’ she said, her voice shaky. ‘I’ll do it.’

TBC


	35. Chapter 35

It had been an emotionally gruelling week, starting with Sara’s day in court and Ginny’s sudden disappearance. Add to that Emily’s visit and Liam’s frenzied preparations for prom night and it had been a downright exhausting few days. By the time Friday night rolled around, Neal and Sara were up for only one thing: flopping on the couch and settling in to watch something on Netflix. As always, Neal deferred to Sara on the choice of movie and they’d been perusing the multitude of choices when Hope appeared, dressed in sweat pants and a paint-splattered t-shirt, her go-to outfit for working down in the studio.

‘Staying in tonight?’ Sara asked.

‘Yeah… Cameron’s working late and afterwards he’s going out for a few drinks with some of his old school buddies.’

Neal could see she was holding something in her hand. ‘What’s that?’ he asked although he had a pretty good idea what it was.

‘I got some new inspiration’ she said, holding up a photograph.

From where he sat, Neal could see the picture of a lush colourful garden, not the first Edgar Stanford had left for her over the past few months. 

‘I see Mr. Stanford finally got to you.’

Hope laughed. ‘He’s relentless’ she said. ‘I thought I’d give it a shot and see if the mood strikes.’ 

She continued on her way down to the basement as her parents shared a look of relief. 

‘It’s nice to see her coming out of her funk’ Neal commented as he placed a giant bowl of freshly popped popcorn between himself and his wife.

‘Emily was saying she sees a big difference in her since the last time she was here’ Sara added.

‘A big difference in who?’ came Caitlin’s voice.

‘Hey, we’re just getting ready to watch a movie, want to join us?’ Neal asked, holding up the bowl of popcorn.

She shook her head and slid her arms into her backpack. ‘I thought I’d go out with some friends for a while.’

Neal studied her carefully. She was looking a lot more relaxed than she’d been earlier in the week. Ginny’s unexpected departure wasn’t her fault and yet she seemed to be carrying the bulk of the guilt when it came to the young teen’s sudden disappearance. Hopefully she was letting go of the angst. At least for tonight.

He put on his foster dad face all the same. ‘Curfew is one a.m.’ he reminded her.

Caitlin rolled her eyes. ‘I know…’ 

She turned to leave and seemed to think better of it, stopping to glance in their direction one more time.

‘You know, I don’t always show it but I do appreciate everything you do for me’ she said, seemingly out of the blue.

Neal and Sara shared a look of surprise. ‘We know that honey’ Sara said.

‘But it’s nice to hear every once in a while’ Neal added.

The teen looked like she wanted to say something else but she shook it off and instead headed for the front door, slamming it shut just as Neal opened his mouth to speak.

‘Don’t slam…’ 

‘…the door’ he added once silence had resumed.

Sara chuckled and turned her gaze back to the television. ‘I think that might be asking too much’ she said. 

‘And we are not spending an hour looking for something to watch’ Neal teased as he jostled his wife. She was notorious for flicking through the offerings for hours on end only to give up in the end. ‘You’ve got five minutes to pick a movie or else I’m… intervening.’

She poked him good-naturedly in the ribs. ‘Intervening?’ she giggled. ‘What are you? The Netflix police?’

He tickled her and watched with amusement as popcorn flew in the air. 

‘Neal!’ she cried out with a girlish giggle.

He kissed her soundly and looked deep into her eyes. She was half expecting some declaration, typical of her sentimental husband: ‘I love you’ or ‘You look beautiful’. You know… the usual Caffrey bullshit.

But Neal’s gaze was steady as he spoke, his voice soft and raspy. ‘Four and a half minutes.’

WCWCWC

In another suburban home not too far away, Diana and Christie were settling in for an evening of their own with their eldest daughter tucked in on the couch between them. Ever since Ginny had left, Olivia had been mindful of her moms, unwilling to stray away from them. They, in turn, had her constantly in their sights as if she might suddenly disappear if they looked away even for a moment.

The visit to Logan Parrish’s place had been a bust. Despite her promise to Neal and Peter - and to herself - Diana had been unable to keep her cool and by the time she had him plastered against the wall, her hand firmly wrapped around his throat, he’d been threatening to lay charges. Luckily Neal and Peter had been there to keep things from deteriorating even further, dragging the worried mom away before she got herself arrested for police brutality.

Logan had given up nothing, insisting he’d only met Ginny briefly and stating unequivocally that he had nothing to do with her disappearance. Without proof of any kind, there was little else they could do but the nagging feeling that he knew so much more than he was admitting continued to linger.

Diana and Christie’s visit to Mara and Don Stewart’s place had been marginally more fruitful although it had been very disturbing. There were eerie similarities between the note left by their daughter a year ago and the one left by Ginny, both girls claiming they were fed up with their boring lives and wanted to be left alone to explore new adventures. The Stewarts were candidly open about what they’d gone through, willingly sharing the report they’d gotten from the private investigator they’d hired. Diana had spent most of the day poring over the details, looking for some breadcrumbs they could follow.

The worried moms had gotten in touch with the private eye the Stewarts had hired. He’d agreed to meet them the next day for coffee. Whether he had more to add than what he’d already put in his report was still unknown but as long as there was a single lead to follow, Diana remained focussed. If and when the time came when all leads were exhausted, Christie feared her wife would fall apart. Right now, the only thing that was keeping Diana Berrigan from totally losing her mind was to keep digging, doing her best imitation of an FBI agent on the scent of an all important case.

The trio of women sat in front of the tube, mindlessly watching an old rerun of Frasier as both Christie and Diana held onto their phones. These days, they had it in their hand or within reach twenty-four hours a day in the hopes Ginny would text or call. The pinging sound of Diana’s phone startled the three of them and Diana glanced down at the screen as everyone held their breath.

‘Just Jones filling me in on what went down at the office today’ she said as Olivia and Christie sighed, disappointed.

Olivia slid her arm under Diana’s, then Christie’s and she pulled her mothers in closer to her as the three of them huddled together, one tight unit waiting for the prodigal daughter to return.

WCWCWC

As was the case every night, it was lights out by nine o’clock at the Blue Skies Nursing Home. But on this quiet Friday night, Linda Bennett was unable to relax and let sleep claim her. She lay on her back, eyes staring up at the ceiling, clasping the envelope Caitlin had given her firmly in her hand. So far, she’d managed to resist looking inside although she’d been warring with herself about doing just that for the past hour. What was in her granddaughter’s best interest? That she respect her wishes or that she listen to her grandmotherly instincts and look inside? Truth was, she was terrified of what she’d find. Whatever it contained, it held an element of danger, that was obvious from the tone of voice the troubled teen had used as she’d pleaded for Linda’s help. 

Linda Bennett was not about to put her relationship with her adoptive granddaughter at risk. It had taken a long time for the two of them to bond and she knew just how precious - and precarious - that connection was. Neal and Sara were amazing foster parents, carefully balancing Caitlin’s need for unconditional love and support with her desperate need for clear boundaries. They’d struggled to find just the right balance, making sure their foster daughter felt safe and loved while doing their best to keep her from giving in to her instincts for recklessness and her unchecked impulses. Neal, in particular, knew how fragile that balance was and Linda could see that he struggled with it every day. 

But as close as she was to her foster parents, when it came to confiding her deep, hidden secrets, Caitlin most often turned to Linda, perhaps worried she might upset or disappoint Neal and Sara. On many occasions — many more than her son could possibly imagine — Linda had found a way to talk Caitlin out of some crazy scheme. Not by threatening punishment or judging her motivations but rather by listening and letting Caitlin draw her own well thought out conclusions. She’d been a sounding board for the troubled teen in a way she had never been for her own son, a regret she still had to this day. 

The familiar comforting sounds of the nursing home enveloped her, the hushed voices of the night time staff, the muted lights, the soft music emanating from the nurses’ station down the hall. Linda felt herself begin to relax. Her eyelids grew heavy, her breathing slowed and despite the troubling thoughts she’d been fighting, her body began to relax, the envelope slipping from her hand onto the crisp white sheets as she fell into a troubled sleep. 

WCWCWC

She’d been there many times before, always with a view to letting loose, to having some fun. But this time, as Caitlin prepared to step into Logan Parrish’s house, she could feel her chest tighten at the thought of the mission she’d given herself. Could she really pull this off without drawing the man’s suspicions?

The place was as it always was: crawling with kids of all ages doing the unspeakable behind mommy and daddy’s back. Caitlin’s instinct was to look around for Ginny but she caught herself. Sadly, Ginny wasn’t anywhere near here and she knew that all too well. She pulled a cooler from her bag; it wouldn’t do to be standing around without anything in her hand. She spotted a couple of kids she knew and joined them, more for cover than anything else. Meanwhile her eyes searched the room for Logan Parrish. He had to be around here somewhere.

She finally caught sight of him in the kitchen talking up this sweet young thing, the same one she’d seen him with the week before. The girl’s eyes were glazed over, a sure sign he’d slipped her something and he stood nice and close to her, giving her his undivided attention. 

Caitlin kept her eyes peeled, waiting for the opportunity to make her move. Her heart beat loudly in her chest, her breathing rapid and she forced herself to have a few sips of her drink to calm herself down. The timing had to be right and she needed to be convincing if she wanted to have a snowball’s chance in hell of pulling this off. 

A plan began to form - a way of getting Logan alone away from everyone. Now, all she had to do was wait.

WCWCWC

Neal chuckled softly at the antics that were playing out on the screen. Surprisingly, Sara had picked a comedy which suited him just fine. After all the angst of the last few days, it was nice to let loose with some outlandish, nonsensical craziness. 

Sara’s head lay on his lap and he noticed her eyes had fluttered shut, her mouth half open as a small spittle of drool appeared at the corner of her mouth.

‘Lightweight’ he murmured under his breath as he grabbed for a nearby blanket to cover her up.

He ran his hand gently through her hair, scrutinizing the look of total relaxation on her tired face. She was a goner, the exhaustion from the week finally catching up to her.

The sound of footsteps were heard coming from the basement and he brought his finger to his lips, urging Hope to be quiet. 

She giggled softly as she spotted her mom lying there. 

‘How’d it go?’ Neal murmured softly.

She sighed loudly. ‘Better than I anticipated’ she said as she perched herself on the arm of the nearby easy chair. Her t-shirt was covered in bright, intense colours — reds, purples, yellows and oranges reflecting in her bright eyes.

‘I know someone who’ll be really pleased to hear that.’

‘I don’t get it. He must have at least a dozen of my paintings in his house’ she commented with an eye roll.

‘I think he gives a lot of them away as gifts’ Neal replied. ‘You do beautiful work, you know.’

Sara made a small snorting sound and Hope and Neal exchanged amused looks.

‘Well, he does have a beautiful garden…. very colourful.' 

‘What about you? You getting any pleasure out of it?’

As a fellow artist, Neal knew the importance of painting with your heart, with your soul - commissioned pieces didn’t always do that for you.

‘I am actually’ she admitted. ‘It took me a while to get going but once I got in the zone…’

She glanced at the clock. Two hours had passed and it had felt like less than half that.  
She rubbed her back - the kink a result of having to stand for long periods of time.

‘Well, I’m going to hit the sack’ she announced, getting to her feet.

‘Is Cameron sleeping over?’ her dad asked.

‘Yeah… so don’t forget to leave the alarm off.’

He nodded. ‘Liam and Caitlin aren’t home yet either.’

She leaned over her mom’s sleeping form and placed a kiss on her dad’s cheek. 

‘Goodnight Daddy’ she whispered. ‘Love you.’

‘Goodnight sweet pea’ he replied as Sara stirred in his lap.

‘Did I nod off?’ she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

WCWCWC

The moment finally came at about 9:45. To Caitlin’s dismay, Logan Parrish had a pretty strong bladder and he’d kept her waiting almost an hour and a half for an opportunity to make a move. 

She watched as he climbed the stairs up to the second floor washroom and she followed close behind, slipping into his bedroom while he went next door to do his business.

She was ready when he stepped out of the bathroom, glancing into his room to find her sprawled across his bed.

‘What are you doing in here?’ he asked, his tone accusatory.

‘Waiting for you’ she said, stretching out languidly. 

He snorted and stepped into the bedroom. ‘You’re nuts’ he declared.

She sat up, her eyes meeting his. ‘Look Logan, I have a problem I think you could help me with. As a matter of fact, I think we can help each other out.’

‘It’s Caitlin right?’ he asked although he already knew the answer.

She nodded and gave him her best flirty smile. 

Logan knew everything there was to know about each one of his guests and what he didn’t know he made it his business to find out. He knew Caitlin was a senior at the local high school, a troubled kid who’d been in the system for a while. She knew how to have fun as he’d witnessed on many occasions. She partied hard and she looked like someone who wasn’t afraid of putting herself out there.

‘I really don’t see what we could possibly do for each other’ he began as he eyed her up and down. ‘Except for the obvious and as you can see, I have my pick of the litter.’

She scoffed, letting her blond tresses escape from her ponytail and onto her shoulders. She shook her head and plastered on a smile. ‘You know a girl could get a complex around you’ she said with a put upon pout.

‘Look, you’re cute and all but… I’m sort of invested with someone else at the moment.’

Caitlin leaned forward, further exposing her cleavage. ‘You mean little miss jail bait down there’ she said. ‘I realize you like ‘em young but don’t you ever want to make out with someone who has a little more experience?’

Her last comment seemed to capture his attention and he stepped further into the room, settling on the edge of the bed to get a better look at her.

‘So what is it exactly you think we could do for each other?’

She let out a heavy sigh. ‘Well, I’m looking for a quick and easy way out of this boring town and I hear you might be able to help me with that.’

‘First time I’ve heard New York described as a boring town’ he deflected.

‘That’s because you’re not stuck in the suburbs with the lamest foster parents that ever lived.’

He chuckled. ‘Boo hoo’ he said sarcastically. ‘Why don’t you just take off? You’re what? Seventeen? Eighteen?’

‘Eighteen’ she said. ‘And I would. Except I’m flat broke. I’m looking to set up somewhere new and far away… you know, somewhere I could make some money without the system constantly being on my tail.’ 

She’d piqued his curiosity and he began running his finger suggestively up her leg. He was pleased to see she didn’t bat an eye.

‘You worked the streets before?’ he asked.

‘Yup… and it’s really not all that bad - if you get in with the right people, you know people with the right connections who can… watch over you, keep you from getting roughed up, that kind of thing.’

‘Well, I don’t know where you got the idea that I could help you with that.’

She battled her eyelashes and leaned in, depositing a languid kiss on his lips. He didn’t resist.

‘Come on Logan. I know you can make some serious money if you deliver me somewhere. And that way, I can get away from my boring little life and have a little excitement for a change. I’d say it’s a win-win.’

He stood, hovering over her. ‘You are nuts’ he declared once more.

WCWCWC

The bait was set and she prayed to God he’d bite. She knew Logan stood to rake in a tidy sum for very little effort. She was banking on him not being able to resist the lure of a big payoff. Then, she had to pray that her hunch was right and that he would deliver her to the same place he’d unloaded Ginny - maybe even Lindsay who’d been gone for months.

She returned to the party, biding her time. Although she needed to keep a clear head, she indulged in a couple of drinks to take the edge off - she didn’t want to be sounding any alarm bells at this delicate moment of the operation.

There was no sign of Logan and she hoped it meant he was floating the idea with whoever was pulling strings at the other end.

If this didn’t work, she was screwed. And so was Ginny.

WCWCWC

‘I don’t know Logan… This all sounds a little too convenient’ J.J. said from miles away.

‘I agree except I happen to know she’s been in the system for years. She’s been around the block a few times and I think she just wants a place where she can turn tricks and have a safe place to crash.’

His motivation was far from pure - basically, it came down to the five thousand dollars he pocketed each time he delivered a girl to J.J.’s house of ill repute. He was used to putting in weeks of romancing his marks before they were ready to be whisked away. This would be a quick and painless payday.

‘And you say she’s eighteen?’ J.J. asked.

‘Yup, got her ID in my hands as we speak’ he said, glancing down at the driver’s license he’d lifted from Caitlin’s wallet.

The woman sighed. The older girls were so much easier to contend with than the newbies who required all kinds of on the job training and hand holding. Freddie would be pleased to know she’d gotten him a new recruit.

‘How does she look?’

‘Pretty, blond, tiny little thing but more than able to take care of herself.’

‘Have you tested her out?’

‘No, but she was more than willing to give me a go.’

She sighed again and he could hear her mind churning from across the miles. ‘And you’re sure she’s not some undercover cop or something.’

He laughed. ‘Positive. She’s been around here for months and she’s not afraid to party.’

J.J. seemed to make up her mind; Freddie had been complaining about wanting to recruit a few more older girls. This was her chance to get a few extra brownie points with the boss. 

‘I don’t want you cutting any corners. We need new ID for her so you can fly her out. I don’t want her travelling under her real name just in case.’

‘I have a guy on call 24/7. I’m sure he can get me something good enough to buy a plane ticket.’

‘It would have to be tonight. That way, she can’t change her mind or start spewing her theories about your little operation over there.’ 

‘I agree. I’ve already checked the flights. I can get us one that leaves a few minutes past midnight. You can start working her by tomorrow night.’

That, it turned out, was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.

‘My usual fee?’ Logan asked, his voice growing anxious.

She scoffed. ‘Seriously?’ she said.

‘Come on J.J. I’m taking all the risks.’

‘Fine… asshole!’

He chuckled. ‘We both get what we want.’

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

The earsplitting sound of the phone echoed in the silent house startling the occupants from their sleep. It was the landline, an even more strident sound and Neal reached over to silence it through a haze of semi-consciousness.

‘Hello?’ he mumbled as thoughts began forming, each more disturbing than the last: Blue Skies calling to say Linda was at death’s door, Caitlin phoning to say she’d gotten herself into trouble, Liam calling to tell them he’d been in a car accident, Diana calling to say they’d found Ginny’s body…

It was amazing how far your imagination could take you in just a few short seconds.

‘Mr. Caffrey, this is Bonnie from Blue Skies’ the woman at the other end said.

‘I’m one of the night nurses’ she added to his stunned silence.

‘What is it? Is something wrong with my mother?’ Neal said, now more awake than asleep.

He blinked as the light came on and he noticed Sara sitting up on her side of the bed, perfectly alert. He glanced at the clock. It was only 12:45 but he had the feeling he’d been asleep for hours already.

‘Your mother is fine… at least physically’ the nurse said hurriedly. She’d had to place her fair share of calls to alert loved ones about a resident’s sudden demise. Luckily, this wasn’t one of those cases.  
  
‘But she’s terribly upset and she’s insisting you come down here as soon as possible.’

‘But… okay’ Neal said, clearly confused. ‘Can I talk to her?’

‘I’m afraid she’s lying down right now, we had to give her a little something to calm her down. But she insists on seeing you. I’m sorry to be calling so late….’

‘No, no… it’s fine. Just… just give me twenty minutes or so to get there’ Neal said as he began to search around the bedroom for something to throw on.

‘What is it?’ Sara asked as he hung up.

‘Blue Skies. Apparently my mom is really upset about something… she says she needs to see me right away.’

There was a quiet knock on the door and Liam peeked in, his hair sticking out in all directions and a bleary look on his face.

‘What’s going on?’ he croaked.

‘It’s Grandma. She says she needs me to come right away.’

‘At this hour?’ Liam said as he rubbed his eyes. ‘Wait… I’ll come with you.’

Neal nodded; it would be nice to have some company for the drive there. And besides, who knew what he’d find when he got there?

‘Okay… thanks buddy’ he said as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and grabbed for a t-shirt from the laundry basket.

Sara already had both feet on the floor. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’

Neal exhaled loudly. ‘No, there’s no sense in both of us going. Liam can drive, right buddy?’

He turned to find his son gone, ostensibly back to his room to throw on some clothes. Within less than a minute, he reappeared in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, looking a lot more alert but with his soft dirty blond curls still askew.

‘I’ll go start the car’ he offered as he proceeded to run down the stairs.

Neal was right behind him with Sara hovering at the top of the staircase, watching them go.

‘Call and let me know what’s going on’ she urged as they disappeared into the night.

WCWCWC

Logan searched the room, looking for Caitlin. They needed to move fast if they were going to make their flight. This was certainly not his usual MO but it would be folly to say no to a quick trip to Atlanta that would net him enough cash to help finance that motorcycle he had his eye on. He gave her the finger point, crooking his finger and urging her to follow him upstairs.

Caitlin spotted him from across the room waving at her. This was it. Was he about to agree to her crazy scheme? She felt her heart skip a beat and tried to focus on Ginny. The poor kid must be going out of her mind, alone in a strange city, separated from her family. Whatever trepidation Caitlin felt at the thought of putting her own safety at risk would have to take a back seat. Unless she went through with it, there was a chance they would never figure out where Ginny had been taken and the kid might never come home.

She found Logan up in his bedroom, going through his night table. He looked up when she stepped into the room, his gaze focussed on the task at hand. Whatever playfulness had been there earlier had been replaced by a look of earnestness she’d never seen on his face before.

‘If we do this, we’re doing it right now’ he said, his voice curt.

Caitlin’s chest tightened and she let out a shaky breath. ‘Okay.’

‘And there’s no turning back.’

She nodded. ‘No turning back’ she repeated with a smile. ‘That’s what I want.’

He looked her up and down. She was wearing party attire, a revealing top, a short skirt, heels.

‘Do you have something you can change into?’

‘I’ve got jeans and stuff in my bag.’

‘Go get changed’ he ordered. ‘You’ve got five minutes.’

‘Where are we going?’

He gave her a dirty look. ‘Seriously? Just get ready, we leave in ten.’

Caitlin reached for her backpack and Logan put up his hand to stop her.

‘Just take your clothes into the bathroom’ he said, his voice sharp. ‘Leave your bag here.’

Was he getting suspicious of her motives? She didn’t want to take a chance so she did as he asked. She’d been out of the room for barely a few seconds when he proceeded to dump the contents of her bag onto the bed. He removed the battery from her phone and took her ID, stuffing it in his pockets. When she returned, he watched her throw the clothes into her bag. She was preparing to slip her arms in to strap the backpackonto her shoulders when he reached for it.

‘Everything stays here’ he said, his brow furrowed.

‘All right…’ she replied, setting it down on the floor. The last thing she wanted to do was contradict him.

‘You’ll have everything you need at the other end.’

‘What about my ID… my phone?’

‘Nothing. It all stays here. That’s the condition. I’ll buy you a one way ticket out of town. There’ll be people waiting for you at the other end.’

‘Are we… taking a bus, a train?’

He was beginning to look annoyed. ‘Don’t ask so many questions or I’ll call the whole thing off’ he threatened.

She nodded. She didn’t want to push her luck. It would have been nice to know where they were headed, perhaps she could get word to Neal or to her grandmother. But she’d have to figure that out at the other end. For the time being, she didn’t want to do anything to spook Logan and have him abort the whole thing.

He grabbed a few things and stuffed them in his jacket pocket. He took her arm.

‘Now, you ready for your new adventure?’ he asked as he led her out.

WCWCWC

Liam drove to New Rochelle which, as it turned out, wasn’t a bad idea. Half way there, Neal realized his hands were shaking. His mind was in overdrive ever since that blasted phone had woken them, leaving them all bewildered. What could his mom possibly have to tell him that couldn’t wait until morning?

‘You’ll find out soon enough Dad’ came Liam’s voice as if he’d read his mind.

‘What?’ Neal asked as he snapped out of his reverie.

‘Whatever Grandma needs to tell you, you’ll know soon.’

Neal nodded and let out a shaky breath. For some reason, his mind went to Caitlin, Linda’s partner in crime.

‘Do you know if Caitlin made it home?’ he asked.

Liam shrugged. ‘I got back around midnight and you guys were already asleep. I didn’t notice if she was there. Why? Do you think this has something to do with Caitlin?’

It was Neal’s turn to shrug. ‘I don’t know… just a feeling.’

He grabbed for his phone. He wasn’t surprised when Sara picked up on the first ring.

‘Is Caitlin home?’ he asked.

He waited while Sara checked. ‘No, not yet.’

It was 1:20, past her curfew. But that in and of itself wasn’t necessarily unusual considering Caitlin’s chronic reluctance to follow rules.

‘Are you there yet?’ Sara asked, her voice anxious.

‘We’re just pulling in. I’ll call you back as soon as I know something.’

WCWCWC

Linda was just plain annoyed that they’d given her something to calm her down. It was making her mind unclear, her thoughts muddled. When she’d awakened from her uneasy sleep, her eyes had gone to Caitlin’s note and without hesitation, she’d ripped it open, no longer able to contend with the uncertainty of what she’d gotten herself into.

_Silly girl!_ had been her first thought as she’d read. Her second instinct had been to give herself a firm kick in the butt for not having asked more questions of her granddaughter. And now, Caitlin was off playing hero, putting herself in real danger and Linda had done nothing to stop her.

She’d asked the night nurse to call Neal, to tell him she needed him to come right away. Maybe it wasn’t too late, maybe Caitlin was still at the party and Neal could intervene before she followed through on her crazy scheme. But the silly nurse had taken one look at the crazed look in Linda’s eyes and had given her something to calm her down before she had a coronary. Now she was drifting in and out of coherent thoughts as she fought to stay alert.

She was resting her eyes when she heard a commotion out in the hallway by her room and Neal and Liam appeared in her doorway, flanked by the night nurse.

‘Let me know if you need anything’ the woman said as she left them by the door.

‘Neal!’ Linda cried out although her voice sounded strangely lethargic. At least to her own ears. She struggled to sit up.

‘Hey Mom’ Neal called out as he settled by her side on the edge of the bed while Liam hovered nearby.

He reached for her hand. ‘What’s going on? Are you all right?’

‘Oh Neal’ she said clasping his hand. ‘I made a terrible mistake. I should have told you right away. I shouldn’t have let her talk me into this.’

‘Mom, you’re not making any sense. Slow down and tell me what’s going on.’

‘Caitlin…’ she said breathlessly.

Of course it was Caitlin, Neal thought. It always was.

‘What did she do this time?’ he asked with a tinge of annoyance.

Linda reached for the note which lay next to her and with a shaking hand gave it to Neal. ‘I was supposed to wait until morning to tell you but… here…’

Neal read, his face growing pale.

_Dear Sara and Mr C._

_If I didn’t make it home last night, there’s a good chance it’s because I’m with Ginny. I couldn’t stand by and not do everything I could to find her so I went to Logan’s party and I told him I had a horrible home life, that I hated my foster parents and that I was looking to make a new start somewhere where nobody knows me. I know he gets money when he brings in a girl so I’m hoping he’ll take me wherever he took Ginny. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’ll find a way to get word to you when I get where I’m going and that way you’ll know where to start looking for Ginny._

_I know you’re probably angry with me but I had to do something. Tell Grandma I’m sorry I’ve upset her._

_P.S. I love you both xx… and Grandma too._

WCWCWC

The airport was relatively quiet at half past midnight. There were the usual travellers preparing to board a red eye overseas but fewer domestic flights than you’d find during the day. Caitlin glanced at the departures board - there were flights to five US cities within the next hour but she still had no clue where they were headed.

Logan ordered her to sit and wait while he met up with a man by the luggage claim. They made some sort of an exchange and Caitlin could only guess he was purchasing some ID for her. Under which name, she had no idea. He glanced in her direction, making sure she was staying put before heading over to purchase tickets with the new identification.

He seemed unusually agitated, no doubt eager to get the job done so he could get back to his life and wash his hands of the whole situation. She was a willing participant but Caitlin wondered how he managed with less cooperative girls. Did he drug them? Did he make them believe they were off on some romantic getaway? She tried to imagine Ginny sitting there, watching him buy tickets at the counter. Had she been scared? Excited?

‘Come on’ he said abruptly as he appeared before her, clasping a couple of boarding passes in his hands. ‘Time to go.’

WCWCWC

It had taken a few minutes to calm Linda down but once Neal had gotten the full picture, he was eager to head over to Logan’s place. Maybe there was still time to keep his foster daughter from making a terrible mistake.

Once again, Liam drove for which Neal was grateful. He put in a quick call to Sara and settled in to think of his options. If he went charging in there, he would be blowing his cover, something he might regret at a later time. Liam, on the other hand, could fit in seamlessly, just another kid attending one of Logan’s epic parties. He glanced over at his son whose eyes were firmly on the road. 

‘How would you feel about going in there and seeing what you can find out?’ he asked him.

‘Sure’ Liam said without hesitation. ‘What am I looking for?’

‘Caitlin… or this guy Logan’ Neal said, bringing the man’s picture up on his phone.

‘What do I do if I find Caitlin?’

‘You drag her out of there by the hair if you have to.’

Liam smiled. Apparently, he liked that idea.

Neal stared out the window at the quiet streets and thought of his foster daughter, his ‘enfant terrible’. He knew she’d been intent on doing whatever she could to help rescue Ginny and although he was worried about her safety, he had to admit he admired her chutzpah. This was exactly the kind of thing he might have done in his youth: diving in head first without considering all the implications. How many times had Peter come to his rescue when he’d stepped right in it, charging ahead recklessly without any thought of the consequences of his ill planned scheme. Now it was up to him to step up to the plate and rescue Caitlin from herself.

Liam parked the car nearby and glanced up at the house. Music rang out; the party was in full swing. He glanced at his dad one last time.

‘Here goes nothing’ he said as he stepped out of the car.

WCWCWC

They’d boarded a plane for Atlanta, that much she knew. But was Atlanta their ultimate destination or were they transferring to another flight once they got there? Caitlin was left to wonder. Logan was not in a sharing mood so she kept to herself.

Panic seeped in as she began to think the unthinkable: what if she was headed down the wrong rabbit hole. What if she got to where they were going and Ginny was nowhere to be found. She would have wasted time and worried her foster parents for no good reason.

She shook off the thought. She had no idea how much freedom she’d be given once there. Would she be free to roam? Would she be able to reach out to the folks back home and let them know where she was? Her head began to throb and she closed her eyes, trying to keep from losing her shit.

‘Regrets?’ came Logan’s voice.

She conjured up her best arrogant smile. ‘None!’ she lied.

He seemed more relaxed now that they were on their way and hence, a little more talkative. ‘I’m taking you to J.J.’s. She’s runs the place where the girls live. You can get a hot meal there and a good night’s sleep and they’ll keep you supplied with molly.’

Caitlin feigned enthusiasm.

‘You like that?’ he asked as she nodded. ‘J.J. will explain everything when we get there. She runs a tight ship but you can make decent money… once Freddie takes his cut.’

‘Freddie?’

‘He runs the whole operation. I hear he can be a little… scary but he takes good care of his girls. As long as they remember their place and don’t give him any trouble.’

Caitlin sighed as she thought of naive Ginny. What must she be going through, isolated from those she loved, forced to turn tricks against her will. She checked her watch. They couldn’t get there fast enough.

WCWCWC

It was your typical out of control Friday night house party and Liam slipped in unnoticed. He recognized a few faces from school, kids who had a reputation for playing hard. At this late hour, people were beyond relaxed and he noticed some kids who could barely stand doing jello shots. They would be regretting it in the morning.

He lurked around the main floor, looking for Logan or Caitlin but he couldn’t find neither. It was a free flow thing - no one appeared to be hosting, just a bunch of people drinking, dropping pills, smoking pot and some couples, including two hot looking guys, making out in various dark corners of the room. Once he’d surveyed the main floor, he headed upstairs - more people in the hallway, hanging out, two guys arguing loudly while a very drunk girl attempted to keep things from devolving into a fist fight. He sidestepped them and continued past a couple of bedrooms, noticing a washroom at the end of the hall. He slipped in momentarily to catch his breath and devise a plan.

There was no sign of this Logan guy or Caitlin but maybe he could snoop around anyway, just to make sure they weren’t snuggled up somewhere. The door to his right was closed and he opened it quietly, peeking inside. An empty bedroom. He slipped in, closing the door behind him as he glanced around the unfamiliar space.

This was pretty well new territory for a straight as an arrow guy like Liam: sneaking around some stranger’s bedroom but he carried on, aware of how high the stakes were. He picked up his phone, connecting with his dad who was not so patiently sitting outside waiting for him to return.

‘I’m in the guy’s bedroom’ he whispered into the phone. ‘But he’s not anywhere around. Neither is Caitlin.’

‘Is there some sort of night table of something?’ Neal asked.

‘Yeah’ Liam replied as he pulled open the first drawer.

‘Whoah!’ he said. ‘There’s like eight different passports here. Looks like they’re all his, different names though.’

‘What else?’

‘Plenty of pills… an economy pack of primo condoms and some dirty magazines’ Liam replied with a snort.

‘Stay on task’ Neal reminded him. ‘Look around the room. Do you see anything?’

‘Oh no!’ came Liam’s voice.

Neal waited. He was about to explode when Liam finally spoke.

‘Caitlin’s backpack is here on the floor.’

‘You sure?’

‘One hundred percent.’

Neal could hear Liam breathing loudly into the phone. ‘Her wallet is in here but her ID is gone. Her phone too but…’

‘But what?’

‘No battery’ Liam said as he ostensibly checked the phone.

‘All right, get out of there’ Neal said. ‘And bring the bag.’

TBC


	37. Chapter 37

Janine Naomi Jameson sat on the front steps of the nondescript three story building in Mechanicsville, sucking greedily on her fourth cigarette of the day. And it was only five a.m.

‘Damn thing’ she muttered as she threw the butt onto the sidewalk and pulled her wrap tighter around her shoulders to fend off the early morning breeze. 

Her occupation required that she work odd hours but this, she reflected, was ridiculous. The sun wouldn’t even be up for another hour and yet, here she was sitting outside on a cool early summer morning, getting ready to welcome their latest recruit. Then again, her loyalty and devotion to Freddie was unwavering and her sense of duty… well, it had always been somewhat over the top. 

Getting here had involved a long convoluted journey down one helluva bumpy road. As a kid, she’d run from a bad situation. Her mom had died when she was five and her dad had been a hard drinking, cynical man who’d made her life utterly miserable. Neens, as her dad called her, was tasked with preparing meals, doing laundry, keeping the house tidy and clean and taking care of her baby brother all the while keeping up her grades at school. 

Following her mom’s passing, her dad had become bitter and angry, taking his misery out on his kids, especially his blond haired, blue eyed daughter who looked much too much like her late mother. He had beat Janine daily, had humiliated her and thwarted every opportunity she’d had of making friends, keeping her at his exclusive beck and call. By the time she was thirteen, he was visiting her bedroom late at night and she was desperately looking for a way out. Within a year, she was living on the streets, out of his long reach, prepared to do just about anything to keep from having to return to the hell she’d left behind. It hadn’t taken long for the bloom to fall off the rose as the previously innocent young girl with silky blond hair and wide blue eyes had begun drinking and popping pills as she whored her way through the dirty downtown streets of Atlanta.

One particular day, after a john had left her black and blue one too many times, she’d been approached by a young guy who was pimping in the neighbourhood. He’d promised her a good hot meal and a safe place to sleep and she’d been only too happy to slip under his wing. Freddie had been a young stud himself at the time, always on the lookout for a way to make a fast buck, pushing drugs and sweet young things and making a good living at it. 

It had turned out to be a mutually satisfying arrangement, Freddie taking a cut off the top and J.J. finally feeling safe again. They’d flirted with a relationship for a time, deciding they worked best as friends and the two of them had never looked back. When Freddie had invested his ill-gotten gains into a rundown building in Mechanicsville, there was only one person he trusted to manage the new establishment and that was his beloved J.J.

She lit another fag and inhaled deeply, the deep lines around her mouth and eyes obvious on her weary face. She looked closer to sixty although she was barely in her forties, the signs of the hard life she’d lived permanently etched in every wrinkle on her face. She hadn’t tricked in years but she knew the biz inside and out, knew who was a good prospect, knew how to motivate her girls, how to spot trouble before it got out of hand and that made her the ideal ‘Madam’ for Freddie’s little den of promiscuity.

Headlights appeared at the end of their quiet street and Janine got to her feet, preparing to meet her newest recruit.

WCWCWC

‘What now?’ Liam asked as he and his dad left Logan Parrish’s neighbourhood.

Neal sighed, his mind whirling. What the hell had his crazy foster daughter gone and done? 

He sat with Caitlin’s backpack on his lap, running his fingers over it absentmindedly as he tried to wrap his mind around what had happened. ‘Let’s go back and check on Grandma’ he said.

‘Shouldn’t we call first? Maybe they’ve managed to settle her and she’s sound asleep.’

Neal nodded. ‘You’re right, I guess I’m not thinking straight’ he admitted.

‘Here, I’ll do it’ Liam said, reaching for the bluetooth and calling out his grandmother’s name. He reached over and patted his father’s arm. He’d rarely seen him this upset. 

‘It’s okay Dad, we’ll find her. Caitlin might be bat shit crazy but she’s smart. She’ll find a way to get in touch.’

Neal exhaled loudly. He wasn’t looking forward to sharing this latest bit of news with Sara. She’d be worried sick to find out their problem child had gone completely off piste and had managed to get herself knee deep in trouble once more.

WCWCWC

Atlanta. 

Now she knew. 

Caitlin had never stepped outside of New York State, not that she remembered anyway. As a little girl, she and her stepbrother had lived with their mom in some of the poorest neighbourhoods in the Bronx. They’d had a decent row house in public housing for a couple of years before her mom had gotten them kicked out after the cops had been called one too many times. After that, it had been a succession of old, beat up apartments in South Bronx, places where you wouldn’t let a dog live, let alone a couple of growing kids. 

Logan had been quiet since they’d landed, a side of him she’d never seen before. Gone was the cocky, sweet talking guy she’d seen in action countless times. He glanced out the cab window nervously, no doubt eager to deliver his merchandise and get the hell out of Dodge.

‘When we get there, I’ll introduce you to J.J.’ he mumbled. ‘She… she runs things over there.’

‘Okay’ Caitlin said as she tried to get the lay of the land in the early morning dawn. 

They were driving through a heavily populated part of the city, looming office buildings, store fronts, a few keeners visible on the sidewalks as they headed into the office to get an early start. Within a few minutes, they’d left the bustling streets behind and were in a much less trendy part of town - and that was putting it kindly. The buildings were older, largely unkempt, a few small buildings scattered amongst older homes which had seen better days. 

She had no idea how much freedom she’d have to move around once they got there but most importantly, she was terrified she’d made a terrible mistake. What if Ginny had been shipped off somewhere else? She could be in any number of large cities and if Caitlin had overshot the mark, she would have to find a way to get home — empty handed. 

‘She runs a tight ship’ Logan said, breaking the silence and startling her. 

‘Sorry?’ Caitlin said as she snapped out of her reverie.

‘J.J… she runs a tight ship. Just do as you’re told and you’ll get along just fine. You can make decent money and you’ll always have a roof over your head. That’s the way Freddie runs his operation.’

‘Freddie?’ Caitlin asked.

He scoffed. He should learn to keep his big trap shut. ‘You’ll find out soon enough.’

There was silence as the two of them stared out the car window, looking out at the deserted streets. After a few moments, Logan spoke up, curiosity getting the better of him.

‘What makes a girl like you want to do something like this anyway?’ he asked. ‘It seems to me you’ve got a lot going for you.'

She shrugged, continuing the charade. ‘I don’t know… just getting away from a bad situation I guess’ she lied as she thought of her cushy life back home. 

‘I’ve had people telling me what to do my whole life and I just want to… I want to call the shots myself, make a few bucks.’

In reality, life with the Caffreys was better than she could ever have hoped for. For the first time in her life, she was part of a family and she knew that when Neal and Sara discovered what she’d done, they’d be worried sick. She felt her heart tighten at the thought.

‘Well, Freddie is a real pro’ he said. ‘Not that I’ve ever met him. I only do business with J.J. but Freddie, he’s the one really calling the shots.’

She nodded and stored the tidbit of information away for referral at a later time. The more she knew about the operation, the more she could report back when the time came - maybe help get some of the other girls out of the mess they were in. 

The cab slowed and she glanced out at a dilapidated building where a bleached blonde, sat on the steps with a cigarette hanging out of the corner of her mouth. The woman had seen better days.

‘We’re here’ Logan declared.

WCWCWC

Sara was pacing by the front door when Neal and Liam finally made it home with Linda in tow. As Neal had suspected, his mom had been inconsolable and he refused to leave her at the nursing home on her own. Sara watched from the front door as her husband and son flanked her mother-in-law, supporting her as she painstakingly walked towards the house.

‘Linda!’ she called out as she took the woman’s arm. ‘Come on in, you must be exhausted.’

She could see the older woman had been crying, her face puffy and her eyes heavy with newly shed tears. She hugged her in an attempt to comfort her.

‘We’ll find her, don’t worry’ she said as she led her into the family room.

Neal and Liam followed close behind, noticing the hide-a-bed was all set up, fresh sheets and blankets laid out. Getting his mother back to the house had been no easy feat but once Neal had seen the state of her, there was no way he was leaving her behind to worry all by her lonesome. 

Sara helped Linda sit down so she could catch her breath. ‘Do you want something to drink?’ she asked. ‘Maybe a cup of tea or a glass of water.’

Linda shook her head but didn’t speak. Sara’s eyes met Neal’s and she could see the same look on his face, his usually bright blue eyes faded with worry. 

‘Come on, let’s get you settled’ Sara said to Linda, grateful for the momentary distraction.

‘I’m gonna try to get some sleep’ Liam said to his parents. ‘Wake me up if you need me for anything.’

Neal turned towards him and, overcome with gratitude for his son’s steady nerves, he reached out to hug him. ‘Thanks buddy. I don’t think I could have gotten through tonight without you.’

‘No big deal Dad. Try to get some sleep.’

Easier said than done. Caitlin was out there somewhere and Neal had no idea how he was going to bring her home.

WCWCWC

If the building had looked like crap from the outside, it was only marginally better on the inside. Caitlin picked up on an unpleasant odour as she was escorted into her new home - a mix of must and questionable body odours wafting through the air. The place looked like an old school or convent although its vocation was the furthest thing from either of those hallowed institutions. Caitlin was reminded of one of the group homes she’d temporarily lived in as she’d awaited placement in her first foster home — not a pleasant memory.

In the early morning hours, there wasn’t a single sound in the place. J.J. led her down a quiet corridor, past a couple of large communal rooms and into a dormitory with a dozen beds lining the walls. Soft snoring could be heard as J.J. led her to one of the empty beds, instructing her to take a seat. A quick glance around the room confirmed that about six of the beds were occupied, all fellow hookers Caitlin guessed. Was Ginny sound asleep in one of those beds?

‘Here, put your bag down and set up over here’ J.J. directed. ‘This place doesn’t come alive for another few hours. Get some shuteye and I’ll be back in a few hours to fill you in on how things work around here.’

Caitlin nodded. She was exhausted but sleep was the furthest thing from her mind. She couldn’t wait to start snooping around the place, see what she could find - or more specifically, who she could find.

WCWCWC

Their first solid lead came in the form of an early morning phone call from Mozzie. Neal and Sara had somehow managed to nod off near dawn but Neal was up like a shot at the sound of the phone breaking their uneasy slumber.

‘I got something’ Mozzie declared. ‘Remember Devlin?’

‘Sure’ Neal said, recalling the guy Mozzie had turned to years ago to fabricate some IDs for the two of them. 

‘Well, I had to promise him my first born son but he finally fessed up to making some IDs for Logan Parrish. A little over a week ago.’

Neal felt his heart pounding in his chest. ’Did you get the name?’

‘Yep, and when I showed him Ginny’s picture, he recognized her.’

‘Well?’ Neal said, wishing Mozzie would just get to the point.

‘The name on the ID he made was Patricia Jones and Devlin says he’d made about half a dozen ID’s for the guy who came in for it. Some of the names are Paul Pallister, James Peterson, Josh Williams and Gary Sinclair.’

‘Thanks Moz. That’s great’ Neal said, his breathing accelerating.

‘You owe me one’ came the reply.

Neal was wide awake now, reaching for some clothes to change into. 

‘We’ve got a lead’ he said breathlessly to Sara who was sitting up in bed. ‘Moz found the guy who made the ID for Parrish and he’s got a name.’

He was already halfway dressed, his hair drooping haphazardly in his eyes. ‘He even got some aliases for Logan Parrish.’

‘So maybe you can track down where they were headed?’

‘If he bought a train or plane ticket under one of those names’ he said as he pulled on a pair of jeans. ‘We can find out where they went.’

He glanced at his wife, the worry apparent on her delicate features. 

‘But that doesn’t help us find Caitlin’ she said, her voice shaky.

He joined her on the edge of the bed and reached for her hand. ‘It might’ he said, doing his best to sound upbeat. ‘Caitlin was convinced he’d take her to the same place he took the other girls.’

She let out a shaky breath and he could see tears forming in her eyes. He pulled her in against his chest, realizing both their bodies were trembling.

‘Neal, we’re responsible for her’ she murmured. ‘If something happens to her…’

‘Hey, come on babe. At least it’s a start’ he said, trying to reassure her. ‘If we can find out where they were headed, we know where to start looking…’

She let out a sob she hadn’t realized she was holding back. ‘How could this have happened Neal? Why would Caitlin put herself in this kind of danger?’

He pulled away to look into her eyes, his hand grazing her cheek to wipe away a wayward tear. ‘Because she’s impulsive and pig-headed… and she has a big heart.’

Sara swallowed, getting her emotions in check. ‘Go… go call Peter. I’ll make sure your mom’s okay.’

He nodded and kissed her cheek. ‘I’ll let you know as soon as I have anything.’

WCWCWC

Once J.J. was out of sight, Caitlin did a quick recon of the place, beginning with a tour of the occupied beds. She knew it was a long shot but she tiptoed around the room, trying to get a look at the faces of the girls who were snoozing nearby. Faint light was coming in from the grimy windows and after a few moments, she was able to ascertain that, sadly, Ginny was not amongst the group of sleeping women. 

A quick stroll around the first floor revealed a common area with a large screen television and shelves loaded with books and what looked to be board games and puzzles. Across the way, she spotted a dining area with a dozen or so tables and chairs. It looked like a perfectly normal meeting space and she had to remind herself that the occupants were young girls whose bodies were being sold for profit against their will.

She heard a faint sound coming from the room across the way and she tiptoed over to investigate. There were steel shelves and food bins - probably the kitchen. She startled at the sound of a faint movement.

‘Can I help you?’ said a woman who appeared before her, clutching a rolling pin threateningly in her hand.

Caitlin let out a gasp. ‘Sorry, I was… looking for the bathroom’ she said, covering up.

‘The bathroom?’ the large woman said dryly. ‘And who the hell are you?’

‘I’m… I’m new here. J.J. just set me up in the… dorm.’ 

At the mention of the boss’s name, the woman seemed to relax, bringing her arm down. ‘Well, the kitchen is off limits, bathroom’s the next door down.’

Caitlin smiled self deprecatingly. ‘Thanks. I’m Caitlin, by the way’ she said, smiling tentatively, a smile which wasn’t returned.

‘Whatever…’ the woman said.

WCWCWC

Peter was dressed and waiting for his best friend when Neal appeared at his door at eight o’clock on Saturday morning. He brought his finger to his lips as Neal stepped inside.

‘El’s still asleep’ he said quietly as Neal nodded.

‘Mozzie came through’ Neal whispered, a satisfied smile on his face. ‘One of his contacts says he forged some IDs for Logan Parrish.’

Peter’s eyes brightened; finally some good news for Diana and Christie. He glanced at his watch, wondering if it was too early to call over there.

Neal’s hand was instantly on his arm. ‘Let’s see what we can find out first. I don’t want to give them false hope.’

Peter grabbed the thermos of coffee he’d prepared and with a spring in their step, the two men stepped out into the early morning sun.

WCWCWC

Ginny woke surprisingly relaxed on Saturday morning. This was her fourth morning in this godawful place and she was already getting used to the familiar sound of voices coming from down the hall as the girls prepared to face the day. 

On their outing the previous day, she’d started to bond with some of the girls, especially Simone who was fast becoming her lifeline. They were all partners on this crazy adventure and somehow, knowing she was not alone, made the whole sordid thing easier to deal with. The constant diet of pills kept her placid and serene, the fear and apprehension of the first couple of days slowly fading away. Everything had lost its lustre and she couldn’t bring herself to care much about what lay ahead. One foot in front of the other Simone had explained; just live from one week to the next when they could all escape for a few hours with a girls’ day out. 

Ginny felt her head spin as she sat up and she grabbed for a pill before heading down for breakfast. Most girls went down in their pjs, shlepping around before they painted their faces and changed into their ‘uniforms’. By noon, assignments would be given out and they would all be entertaining in their rooms, the schedule dictated by J.J.

She let her feet touch the ground and dragged herself out of bed, her stomach rumbling for a good, solid breakfast. 

WCWCWC

Two floors below, Caitlin woke from a short nap to find a young woman hovering over her.

‘Hey! Wake up Cinderella’ the girl said with a crooked grin. She was wearing so much makeup, she looked like she might be auditioning for a revival of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. ‘J.J. sent me. She wants to see you in her office.’

‘J.J.?’ Caitlin repeated, momentarily disoriented.

She slipped out of bed, getting her bearings as memories of the previous night came flooding back. No time for second thoughts, she was deep in it now, there was no turning back.

She was directed to a room down the hall and she slowed the pace as she passed the common area, noticing several young girls hanging out, having breakfast. She glanced in, checking out the faces, hoping against hope to find the one face she’d been dying to see.

‘Hey, this way!’ the young woman said, prodding her along.

TBC


	38. Chapter 38

Caitlin was doing her best to concentrate on the litany of rules and regulations J.J. was rhyming off but her mind kept flashing back to the dining room she’d walked past and the sad faces of the young girls she’d seen in passing. She couldn't wait to return and further investigate. If Ginny wasn’t amongst the group, she was in deep shit, tied to an arrangement where, starting in a few hours, she would be selling her body for a few measly bucks and an unlimited supply of mind numbing drugs.

‘Any questions so far?’ asked J.J., bringing the teen back to reality.

Caitlin shrugged. ‘I can’t think of anything.’

‘If you follow the rules, go where you’re told, _do_ what you’re told… well, you’ll always have a safe place here where you can get a decent meal and a warm bed. Here’s your new ID’ she added, handing her a driver’s license with her own face staring back at her.

‘If the police hassle you, show them your ID and ask them to call Freddie. One of his people will make sure you’re taken care of.’

Caitlin glanced down at the name, her face growing pale. ‘Is this some kind of joke?’ she asked.

‘What? You look like a Linda to me. You got a problem with that?’

’N-n-no’ Caitlin croaked as she fought to keep from sobbing.

‘Remember, one of Freddie’s guys makes all the arrangements with the client, gets paid up front and gets you set up. Don’t get smart and try to make more on the side, we always find out. The girls who try to outsmart the system always get caught and… well, let’s just say if you want to stay in Freddie’s good graces and continue to have a place to crash just… stick with the program.’

‘Got it’ Caitlin said.

‘Now, do you need any clothes to get started?’

Caitlin stared back blankly. It struck her once more that until she could locate Ginny and get them both the hell out of there, she’d be expected to turn tricks. She felt bile rising in her throat.

‘And here’s a week’s supply of happy pills. I suggest you take them, they’ll help you stay mellow.’

‘So… when do I start?’

‘Tonight’ said J.J. ‘I want you to meet Freddie before you get started. He likes to meet all the new girls.’

Caitlin nodded vacantly.‘So, who are all those young girls hanging out in the dining room?’ she asked.

‘That’s our junior program’ J.J. said with a chuckle. ‘Minors still learning the ropes. They live here full time, up on the second and third floor where we can keep an eye on them. Eventually, when one of them comes of age, we’ll pair her up with one of you old timers, show her the ropes on the street.’

She pointed to a closet nearby. ‘Find yourself something to wear for later and get yourself something to eat. We’ll go from there’ J.J. said, standing and signalling their discussion was over.

Caitlin turned to leave. ‘So… I’m free to come and go as I please?’

‘You’re here of your own free will, right?’ J.J. replied with a naughty smile. ‘But Freddie’s boys will keep an eye on you, make sure you’re sticking with the program. Step out of line and there’ll be consequences.’

Pressing her luck, Caitlin spoke up. ‘What about those young girls, are they here of their own accord?’

The smile that had been on J.J.’s lips tightened into an angry scowl. ‘Don’t start asking questions you have no right to know the answer to.’

It was time to back off before she got booted out on her ass. ‘Got it’ she said before exiting the small office.

J.J. watched her leave and spotting one of Freddie’s boys nearby, she crooked her finger, beckoning him over.

‘Keep a close eye on that one’ she said. 

WCWCWC

‘You okay?’ Peter asked as he and Neal arrived at Grand Central Terminal, their third stop of the day.

‘No. I’m _not_.’

‘You couldn’t have known she was going to do this Neal.’

Neal looked up, cocking an eyebrow. ‘I _should_ have known, she’s been obsessed with Ginny for weeks now. Peter, I’m responsible for keeping her safe...’

‘Look, it’s just a question of time. Now that we’ve got a name to go on, hopefully we’ll get a lead on where Parrish took Ginny.’

‘Unless they travelled by car’ Neal replied, looking particularly glum. ‘And even if we _do_ get a lead, there’s no guarantee he took Caitlin to the same place.’

‘Come on buddy’ Peter said, trying to keep his best friend’s spirit up. ‘You’re not usually a Debbie Downer.’

Neal peeked at Peter out of the corner of his eye and spied a look he hadn’t seen in quite a while - the look of exasperation he’d given him so many times when he’d been his CI.

‘I know what you’re thinking’ he said.

Peter turned to face him. ‘What’s that?’

‘That this is payback for all those times I drove you crazy.’

‘Neal…’ Peter attempted.

‘Is this how it felt for you? Every time I went rogue? Every time Mozzie and I would go off half cocked with one of our crazy schemes?’

Peter gave him a look of empathy. ‘I _wasn’t_ thinking that. But… you have to admit there are some pretty stark similarities. I spent plenty of sleepless nights wondering what you were up to, imagining the worse. And now...’

Neal sighed. ‘And now I’m the one who’s tossing and turning, worrying about what Caitlin’s up to. Karma’s a bitch. Believe me, the irony of the situation is not lost on me.’

Peter shrugged. ‘I can’t deny you were a handful.’

Neal ran his hand through his hair. ‘How did you cope?’

‘I guess I just kept reminding myself that deep down you were a good person who cared about making things right. You just didn’t always go about it in the safest or most… law abiding way’ Peter said with a soft chuckle. ‘And I would just hope and pray that whatever you were doing, you weren’t going to get yourself hurt.’

‘That pretty well sums it up’ Neal said with a sad smile. ‘Peter, she drives me absolutely crazy. One day, she’s sweet and kind and… helpful and then I blink and she’s off doing something crazy like… like turning to prostitution to help a friend get out of trouble.’

Peter brought his hand to rest on his best friend’s arm. ‘She’s smart… just like you’ he said as reassuringly as he could manage. ‘We’ll find her.’

Neal seemed to shake off the melancholy and was about to step out of the car when Peter’s phone rang. No great mystery as to who was calling.

‘Diana! What’s up?’

‘I’m sitting outside Parrish’s house’ she said, a definite edge to her voice.

Peter glanced at Neal, this wasn’t a good sign.

‘What good’s that gonna do you?’ he asked rhetorically. If Diana was sitting in her car, stewing and surveilling Logan Parrish, it was only a question of time before she gave in and stormed in to confront him once again.

There was silence on the other end. ‘Diana?’

‘He just got back from somewhere’ she replied, ignoring the warning in his voice.

Neal, on the other hand, perked up at the information. Was Parrish returning from dropping Caitlin off somewhere?

‘There’s something you should know’ he said.

‘I don’t like the sound of that’ Diana said, that edge in her voice growing even sharper.

Neal took a deep breath. ‘Caitlin decided to play the hero and went to Parrish’s party last night. She left us a note telling us she was planning on talking him into taking her out of town to…’

Neal’s voice grew tight at the thought of Caitlin putting herself in such unnecessary danger.

‘To what?’

Neal hesitated and Peter spoke up. ‘She told Parrish she wanted to start anew in another city, said she hated her life with her foster family.’

‘What? So you think she might have gone after Ginny?’

‘That was her plan apparently’ Neal said.

‘Great!’ came Diana’s voice, dripping with sarcasm. ‘Now we have two girls to worry about.’

‘Caitlin is… well, she’s pretty street smart’ Neal said, convincing himself as much as Diana. ‘Hopefully, she’ll be in touch with us really soon.’

‘So what are you guys up to, then?’

‘Still chasing leads at the train stations and airports.’

Diana let out a laboured sigh. ‘What leads? There _are_ no leads.’

Peter and Neal exchanged knowing glances, silently deliberating whether or not to share the latest break in the case with the anxious mother. They were walking that fine line between giving her hope that might not pan out and keeping her spirits up.

After a moment’s hesitation, Neal spoke up. ‘Mozzie got a lead. I had him snooping around his usual contacts to see if Parrish had come around looking to buy IDs.’

‘And?’ Diana asked, the tension back in her voice.

‘We got a hit. Parrish came looking for ID for Ginny last week. We got a name.’

‘That… that’s incredible! I’ll meet you, where are you?’

Peter sighed. Diana on steroids could be a huge advantage or she could be hell on wheels, impeding any progress they might make. As it was, they were pleading with clerks and supervisors to cooperate but there was no doubt that Diana’s badge would give them a lot more clout. Having her join them had another advantage: keeping her busy and away from Parrish who, everyone had to agree, was a dead end. At least for the moment.

‘We’re at Grand Central. We’ll wait for you’ Peter said.

WCWCWC

‘Thank you dear’ Linda said as she took the cup of tea from Sara’s outstretched hand.

Sara couldn’t help but notice her mother-in-law’s hand shaking as she placed the teacup in front of her.

‘Did you manage to get any sleep?’ she asked. ‘That hide-a-bed isn’t the most comfortable thing in the world.’

Linda reached for her hand and squeezed. ‘It was fine. I don’t think I would have been able to sleep even if I was lying on a cloud of feathers.’

She barely got the words out before she made a choking sound followed by a deep, soulless moan. ‘I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I should have known she was going to do something crazy.’

‘Don’t do this to yourself Linda’ Sara said, fighting tears herself. ‘None of this is your fault. Neal and I have been living with Caitlin long enough to know how manipulative and determined she can be.’

‘She’s been telling me about Diana and Christie’s daughter for weeks now. She was so upset she hadn’t been able to help her, keep her out of trouble.’

Sara nodded. ‘If there’s one thing Caitlin is, it’s persistent.’

‘I wish I’d pushed her harder to tell me what she was planning. Maybe I could have talked her out of it.’

‘Linda, stop it. You’re going to make yourself sick. Caitlin might be stubborn but she’s also very smart. She’s had to look out for herself most of her life.’

‘But that’s the point, isn’t it?’ Linda said, her voice laced with sadness. ‘She’s not alone anymore, she has all of us.’

Sara took a sip of tea as she considered her mother-in-law’s last comment. For a couple of years now, she and Neal had worked relentlessly at making Caitlin feel safe, a part of their family. It had been an uphill battle, brief flashes of success followed by weeks of acting out and rebelling.

‘Old habits die hard. Sometimes I look at her and even when she’s smiling, I can see sadness in her eyes. Neal and I are learning to accept that even if we give her the best life we can, she’s never going to be able to completely leave her past behind.’

Linda brought her hand to cover her mouth, frown lines deep on her forehead. ‘She drives me crazy’ she finally said with a choked laugh.

‘Join the club’ Sara replied.

WCWCWC

‘What’s next?’ Diana asked, newly energized.

Their last two stops had been dead ends but with the help of Diana’s FBI shield, they’d been able to get a look at passenger lists for the previous Tuesday instead of just relying on staff’s memory.

‘I say we go back to JFK now that we have a name’ Neal suggested, looking more optimistic than when they’d started the day.

They piled into Neal’s car and prepared to head back to Queens when Neal’s phone came alive.

‘Neal, I got something else. Devlin says he was called in late last night to produce an emergency ID for Parrish. Another girl. It’s Caitlin. This time it’s a Georgia driver’s licence.’

Neal felt his heart thumping wildly as he listened. ‘That’s great Moz. Give me the name.’

‘Linda Benson’ Mozzie said as Neal gasped.

‘Crazy coincidence?’ Mozzie added.

Neal shook off the jolt of surprise. ‘Thanks Moz. I owe you one. Again.’

‘Well, you can pay me back by getting a case of that Private Reserve Merlot you had at your place last week.’

Neal rolled his eyes. ‘Will do Moz.’

He turned to face Peter and Diana, his voice excited as he spoke. ‘We’ve got ourselves another lead. Let’s hope they both point us in the same direction.’

WCWCWC

The dining room at J.J.’s lair was busy and as noisy as one might expect when a bunch of young girls were gathered in the same room together. There was plenty of small talk as clusters of girls took place at the dozen or so tables, eating up a hearty breakfast. If it hadn’t been for the unusual setting, Caitlin might have thought she was in a high school cafeteria. Same young faces except for the fact most of them had an eerily dead look in their eyes.

She picked up a tray of scrambled eggs and toast and situated herself up against the wall so she could properly survey the whole room. Her eyes went to the two exits where she noticed two strapping young guys standing around, looking threatening despite their young age. For all her talk of creating a warm, caring home for these girls, J.J. obviously had trust issues with her brood. Most of the girls were in their early teens and without makeup and the provocative clothes they would soon be slipping into, they looked as innocent as lambs being led to slaughter.

Caitlin took the time to examine each and every girl, all pretty young things who seemed to have had the life sucked out of them. After an initial glance around the room and the disappointing realization that Ginny Berrigan was not amongst the group, she returned for a second look, taking in each and every face.

She stopped dead in her tracks, practically choking on her eggs as she spied a familiar face.

WCWCWC

The trio of makeshift detectives was led to a small meeting room where they were instructed to wait for the airport’s general manager to join them. The poor clerk at the check-in desk was new to the job and unsure how far her discretion went, she’d panicked as Diana shook her FBI badge threateningly in her face.

‘Maybe let _me_ do the talking?’ Peter suggested as Diana glared at her ex-boss.

As expected, Diana was on a short fuse, ready to jump down the throat of anyone who didn’t cooperate fully with her less than gentle inquisition.

‘I’m just… I’m sick of being jerked around’ she said as she paced the room.

Neal reached for her arm but she sidestepped him, content to hang on to her frustration and anger. ‘I don’t think anybody’s purposely jerking us around’ he said. ‘Privacy rights and all that.’

She moved her glare in Neal’s direction and he could have sworn he heard a hissing sound. He looked away, somewhat intimidated by the look of sheer frustration on her face. 

The door to the room opened and a short, mustachioed man stormed in, looking as if he’d been interrupted in the middle of a very important meeting.

‘What’s this all about?’ he asked, visibly annoyed. ‘I’ll have you know I don’t take kindly to my staff being harassed —’

Diana wasn’t putting up with any of his crap. She pulled out her badge dramatically, flashing it in front of his eyes as she towered over him.

‘It’s about a missing child’ she said, anger in her voice. ‘And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll cooperate or I’ll haul your sorry ass back to the Federal Bureau for a private little chat.’

The guy went from cocky and bold to appropriately intimidated as he folded like a cheap suit under the spell of Badass Berrigan.

‘Wh… what do you mean, a missing child?’ he asked, his voice suddenly shaky.

‘We need to have a look at your flight manifests for the past week. We’re looking for a passenger by the name of Patricia Jones’ Peter explained before Diana totally lost it and resorted to pulling out her service revolver.

The man began to blabber, his previous bluster all but gone as he led them to a nearby computer terminal. 

‘Let’s… let’s have a look’ he said as he logged in under Diana’s watchful eye.

‘Jones you said? That’s a pretty common name’ he said as he perused his screen. ‘One hundred and seventy-three Jones have flown out of JFK in the past week.’

‘ _Patricia_ Jones’ Peter repeated.

‘Ah, here we are. Two Patricia Jones’s have boarded a flight in the past few days. One was yesterday, a connecting flight to Amsterdam.’

‘Not yesterday’ Neal said dismissively as they all held their breath.

‘We had a Patricia Jones on our Atlanta flight last Tuesday’ the man said as he continued to type away.

‘Was she flying alone?’ Peter asked.

‘Let’s see… no, she was with a man by the name of Josh Williams.’

Neal’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. ‘That’s it! We got him!’

TBC


	39. Chapter 39

‘Give me a minute, will you?’ came Liam’s impatient voice through the bathroom door.

Cody stood outside in the hallway, cooling his heels. ‘You’ve been in there for almost twenty minutes’ he complained.

‘Just… it doesn’t look quite right’ came the reply.

Despite all the chaos surrounding Caitlin’s unexpected disappearance, life went on in White Plains including the high school prom she’d been so intent on missing. Getting ready for the epic event had taken up most of Liam’s day.

‘Come out here and let me see’ Cody urged as he paced up and down the hall.

He could hear muffled voices coming from the bedroom across the hall where Liam’s parents were discussing something he couldn’t quite make out.

There was another sound from inside the bathroom and the door opened, revealing a very tense but nonetheless extremely hot looking young man.

‘I look like a buffoon’ Liam whined as he stepped out.

Cody grabbed his arm and led him into his bedroom, closing the door behind them before sitting on the bed and giving his boyfriend an appraising look. He let out a whistle and Liam rolled his eyes.

‘Babe, what are you talking about? You look amazing.’

Liam tugged at his shirt collar, causing his tie to go askew and Cody stood to straighten it out.

‘I don’t think I can manage with this get-up all night’ Liam said, slapping Cody's hand away and checking himself out in the mirror.

‘See, this thing won’t stay on straight’ he moaned as Cody let out an amused chuckle.

‘It’s one night’ he reminded Liam.

Liam relented and nodded, taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to his boyfriend. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d worn a tie. Maybe his grandma June’s funeral?

‘You want to tell me what’s really bugging you?’ Cody asked, reaching for his hand.

‘You mean besides Caitlin taking off and sending everybody in a frenzy?’

Cody nodded. That was certainly part of Liam’s foul mood but he knew there was more to it.

‘What else?’ he asked patiently.

Liam shrugged, making light of it.

‘Come on babe’ Cody urged. ‘It’s me. No secrets, remember?’

Their eyes met and Liam could no longer hold back. ‘It’s just… we’re going to stick out like a sore thumb.’

‘That’s not true’ Cody said. ‘There are at least… three other same-sex couples going. There’s Tyler and James and Marsha and —’

‘I know, I know. Four couples out of how many? A hundred and fifty?’

Cody sighed. As president of the Gay Straight Alliance at school, he’d been working tirelessly for four solid years to ensure equal rights for gay students. Many of their fellow students had come out during their time at White Plains - some who might not have felt safe and comfortable doing so if it hadn’t been for the hard work of the alliance.

Thankfully, with graduation looming, there had been none of the ugly rhetoric they’d heard from other parts of the country - no discrimination or banning of same-sex couples at prom. If they didn’t assert their rights, Cody reasoned, why bother fighting for them in the first place?

‘Babe, this isn’t just some political statement’ Cody began as Liam gave him a wary look. ‘Yes, it’s true, we’ve fought hard to have the same rights as everyone else but tonight is about celebrating. I’m graduating and I want to celebrate with you.’

Liam sighed, his heart heavy. ‘What about… dancing?’

Cody cleared his throat. ‘You don’t want to dance?’

‘I do… I just… I don’t want to be the centre of attention or find our picture circulating on social media in the morning with some snide comments.’

Cody had to concede his point; he knew how difficult it was for Liam to step out of his comfort zone. ‘We don’t have to make a spectacle of it. We can be discreet if it makes you feel better. Or… we could skip dancing altogether.’

Liam picked up on the look of sadness on his boyfriend’s face. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to dance with you. I do’ he said.

Cody stood and put out his hand and Liam chuckled as he got to his feet.

‘How about a practice run?’ he asked.

Their arms reached out in an embrace and they began to shuffle back and forth awkwardly, their bodies swaying to a silent beat.

‘You look very handsome’ Cody whispered in his boyfriend’s ear.

He felt Liam’s grin against his cheek. ‘And I get to go to prom with the cutest guy at school’ he murmured.

WCWCWC

Across the hall in the master bedroom, Neal was busy pulling an overnight bag out of their walk-in closet while Sara rummaged through his underwear drawer.

‘How many?’ she called out.

He appeared, throwing the bag onto the bed. ‘I don’t know. Five, six?’

She turned to look at him. ‘Honey, you’re not going away for a week!’

He shrugged. He was meeting Diana and Peter at the airport in ninety minutes, a short window to get packed and back to Queens to check in for their 8:00 flight.

‘Whatever’ he exclaimed with a heavy sigh. ‘I… I have no idea what we’ll find when we get there. Better safe than sorry.’

Sara grabbed a half dozen pair of boxer briefs and opened his sock drawer.

‘Black okay?’ she asked as he nodded absentmindedly.

He returned to the closet, returning with a handful of casual shirts and throwing them on the bed. ‘Where are my black jeans?’ he asked.

‘I think they’re in the wash’ came the reply.

‘Great!’

‘Here’ Sara said, reaching into the bottom drawer and pulling out a couple of pairs of relaxed fit jeans he usually reserved for weekends. ‘How about these?’

He nodded, not bothering to look up. Sara made her way to him, tugging on his arm in an attempt to get his attention.

‘Come on, it’ll be okay. You’ll see, you’ll figure things out.’

Her hand on his arm seemed to trigger something in him and he looked up at her, seeing the same look of worry in her eyes he suspected were in his. He reached out and pulled her into a tight hug as she exhaled audibly.

His hand was instantly in her hair, the softness warm comfort as he held her close.

‘I can’t even imagine what Ginny and Caitlin are going through’ he murmured in her ear.

She pulled away to look in his eyes and she ran her hand softly down his cheek. ‘Honey, you’ve taken a giant step. Now, we know what city they’re in.’

Neal stepped out of the embrace, rolling his eyes. ‘Sure, nothing like combing through a city of over half a million people’ he said. ‘It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.’

‘At least you know which haystack to look in’ she reminded him.

He smiled at her attempt at encouragement. ‘You’re right’ he declared, getting back to the business of packing his bag.

‘Peter says he has a contact with the police department down there’ he added. ‘We’re going to start there. And Diana’s police friend Adrian is calling in some favours.’

Sara nodded. For all her exterior bravura, she was scared stiff about the situation their foster daughter had gotten herself into.

‘How’s Diana?’ she asked.

‘About what you’d expect. Trying to stay positive but scared out of her mind.’

He gave her a quick glance. ‘Like us… I guess.’

‘Is Christie going?’ Sara asked.

Neal shook his head. ‘No, she’s going to stay here with Olivia.’

‘I’ll give her a call later, see how she’s doing. Maybe have the two of them over for dinner’ she said.

Neal smiled at his wife. ‘I’m sure she’d like that. You sure you’re okay with my mom staying here while I’m gone?’

Sara nodded. Having Linda in the house meant extra work, making sure she had three meals a day, keeping on top of her medication, helping her with dressing and bathing. But it was also a comfort to have her nearby, someone with whom to share the burden of worry.

‘We’ll manage’ she said. ‘Hope’s coming over to stay with her while I drive you to the airport.’

Neal zipped up his bag and took one last look around the room. ‘I hope I’m not forgetting anything’ he said as he headed for the door.

WCWCWC

The graduation committee had done an amazing job. Except for perhaps a faint lingering gym smell, the space had been totally transformed into a spring wonderland complete with a tropical garden and countless flowering buds all over the place.

As soon as they arrived, Cody and Liam gravitated to their group of friends, kids they knew from the GSA, guys from the basketball team, colleagues of Cody’s from the biology club he was a member of. All were in their Sunday clothes, some transformations more striking than others.

‘Caffrey!’ Will Allenby called out as he clasped his best friend’s shoulder. ‘I half expected you to show up in your basketball uniform.’

‘Cute’ Liam murmured, noticing Will was on his own. ‘Where’s Josie?’

The question seemed to trigger some barely hidden angst in the other young man’s eyes. ‘She’s… she’s checking her makeup’ Will said quietly.

‘Look what I’ve got’ said one of Will and Liam’s teammates as he held up a nondescriptflask. ‘I thought we could spice up the punch bowl.’

Liam and Cody exchanged knowing looks. It was party time.

WCWCWC

Sara insisted on parking the car and accompanying Neal inside the airport for a proper goodbye. She wanted to see Diana before they all took off, wish them all well and kiss her husband for good luck.

‘All checked in?’ Neal asked as he joined the group near the secure waiting area.

Peter nodded. ‘I got us a meeting with my old buddy Ricky Klein first thing in the morning. He runs homicide there but he’s got contacts in vice.’

‘And I booked us a couple of rooms at a place called the Residence Inn, right in the downtown core' Diana added, looking surprisingly serene. ‘You two mind sharing a room? I got you one with a hide-a-bed.’

Peter and Neal nodded. It wouldn’t be the first time they were called upon to share a room. Diana gave a head nod in the direction of the departure lounge and she and Peter disappeared, leaving Neal and Sara to say their goodbyes.

‘And you’ll call and keep me posted?’ she said.

‘Every day’ he promised, reaching for her.

‘And don’t keep anything from me’ she said in her no-nonsense tone as she hugged him back.

‘You’ll know as soon as I know’ he said, seemingly back to his old Caffrey self.

He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and turned to follow Peter and Diana, glancing over his shoulder at his wife.

‘I promise I’ll bring her home’ he said before disappearing in the crowd.

WCWCWC

It had been one of the strangest encounters of her life. When Caitlin had followed Lindsay into the washroom following breakfast, the girl had acted like she’d never seen her before in her life.

‘I remember you from White Plains High’ Caitlin had whispered, keeping an eye on the door for new arrivals. ‘My name’s Caitlin Somersby. Do you remember me Lindsay?’

There’d been a brief flicker of recognition in the girl’s eyes but little else. ‘My name’s Simone’ she’d replied flatly with a vacant look in her eyes.

Caitlin had been just about to ask about Ginny when another one of the girls had walked in and Lindsay had totally shut down. She’d have to try to get her alone later.

But later had never come. After breakfast, Caitlin was ordered to change into some working girl’s clothes and escorted by one of the two young men she’d seen lurking by the dining hall doors to a house a couple of streets over where she was presently waiting to meet with the eminence grise of the operation.

The house was definitely upscale, considering the neighbourhood. High ceilings, fine art, expensive furnishings. This Freddie guy was making plenty of moola off the backs of those girls she’d seen just throwing back omelettes and orange juice.

She was ordered to sit in an open space outside what appeared to be an ostentatious office with double doors. With the door halfway open, she could see a tall, skinny black guy sitting behind a desk, smoking a cigar and the back of an older man wearing a fedora and a rumpled overcoat. Their voices were muffled but the conversation seemed affable enough. She noticed an envelope sitting on the desk between the two men and after a moment, the Columbo lookalike reached for it, stuffing it into his pocket before turning to leave. He never even gave her a second look as he slipped past her with the help of an ornate cane and a noticeable limp - perhaps an injury or maybe years of wear and tear on bad knees.

Although she’d been feeling reasonably calm up to this point, the reality of her situation (and that of Ginny and Lindsay) seemed to hit her like a ton of bricks as she sat there waiting. She could see her hands shaking uncontrollably and she placed them in her lap, forcing herself to breathe. She was about to find out how the operation was managed although she had an inkling threats were involved in keeping everyone in line.

‘J.J. tells me you approached one of our couriers and asked to be brought here’ the man said once she was finally seated across from him. She could see the suspicion in his eyes as he studied her up and down appreciatively.

‘What’s that all about?’

The smile on his face masked a much harsher, more evil persona. He was the kind of guy who could sweet talk you and morph into Mr. Hyde in the blink of an eye.

‘I… I needed to get out of New York’ she said, repeating the tale she’d told both Logan and J.J. ‘I’ve… turned tricks before but I wanted to go someplace where I could… be safe and have a place to stay.’

‘And who told you about our little… operation?’

She felt her face redden. She needed to tread lightly. ‘Nobody. I just noticed Logan was recruiting for… something and I took a chance.’

Even she didn’t believe the gibberish she’d just spouted but Freddie played along nonetheless.

‘It comes at a cost’ the man said, his fingers templed as if he were deep in thought. ‘We keep our girls safe and fed and we make sure you have… everything you need’ he said cagily. ‘But in return, I demand complete loyalty from all my girls.’

‘You’ll get an allowance and one day off a week but… well, let’s just say my boys keep a close eye on all of the girls, even on their days off. You know, we wouldn’t want any harm to come to you.’

What had been phrased as reassurance was no more than a thinly veiled threat and Caitlin nodded knowingly as she tugged on the micro-mini leather skirt that barely covered her thighs.

‘You see we don’t want any trouble here’ he continued. ‘We have a smooth operation. I make sure you don’t get hassled by the local police and in return you don’t negotiate with johns, you don’t take extra tips and you keep your head to the grindstone and don’t ask questions.’ 

Caitlin swallowed hard but tried to keep her eyes on him, fighting not to look away.

He got a very smarmy smile on his face as he continued, leaning forward on his desk to make his point. ‘Are you going to give me any trouble little lady?’ he asked, his voice smooth as silk.

’N-n-no sir’ she replied in her best good girl voice.

‘Good. Because if I find out you’re here to cause trouble, that’s exactly what you’ll get.’

The tight look on his face relaxed and he returned to the smug smile. ‘Julio out there has your first assignment. Stand up so I can get a good look at you.’

Caitlin felt her knees quiver as she stood, doing her best to look confident.

‘Turn around’ he ordered.

The skimpy outfit she was wearing left her feeling exposed, naked and she wobbled on the heels she was unaccustomed to wearing.

‘Bend down’ he said as he cocked his head to get a better look.

She did as she was told, totally humiliated and she heard him hum in appreciation. He stood and walked over to her. She was surprised by how tall he was considering he had a rather wiry build. He placed his long finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

‘A little more eye shadow and liner and ask J.J. to give you a brighter lipstick’ he ordered as Caitlin fought to hold his gaze.

‘Julio!’ he called out as the young guy who’d brought her reappeared in the doorway. ‘We’re done.’

WCWCWC

Hartsfield-Jackson had the distinction of being the busiest airport in the country, the hub for thousands of air travellers every single day. As they stepped off the plane, Neal tried to imagine first Ginny, then Caitlin arriving here, uncertain about where they were going and what their fate might be. At what point had Ginny realized she’d been tricked into coming here? Was it once she was on the plane? Or perhaps in the cab on the way to wherever she was being taken? For all her apparent self-confidence, she remained an innocent fourteen-year-old girl. A child really… unequipped to face such a horrific situation.

It was time for bed by the time they arrived at the hotel and after making sure Diana was safely inside her room, Neal and Peter headed across the hall to their own suite. They flipped for the privilege of using the bed and even though Neal won he insisted on letting Peter have it. The light from the parking lot below shone through the small crack in the curtains, giving the room a haunting glow as the two men lay on their backs, staring up at the ceiling.

‘How do you know this Klein guy?’ Neal asked, his mind still in overdrive.

‘He used to work out of New York. He’s a decent guy… I think. At the very least, he can introduce us to the head of vice. Or maybe he has some insight into the gangs running prostitution in the city.’

The word sent a shiver down Neal’s spine. This was a harsh world where horrible things happened everyday. The thought of naïve Ginny and his slightly more street wise foster daughter as innocent pawns in the criminal underworld was more than he could bear. No matter the outcome, both girls would need help to recover from such a horrific experience, especially Ginny who had innocently fallen for the wrong guy only to be thrown into this untenable circumstance.

‘Neal…’ came Peter’s voice after a moment of silence. ‘We’ll find them. We’re not leaving here until we do.’

Neal let out a long slow exhale. ‘Thanks Peter.’

TBC


End file.
